The Covid-19 epidemic continues to progress in France: one in five people tested is positive and the number of patients hospitalized in intensive care stood at 3,368 on Friday, October 30, with 422 new admissions since the day before.
Read also: Covid-19: when will the epidemic turnaround?
According to figures from Public Health France, the pandemic caused 256 new deaths recorded in hospitals in 24 hours against 250 the day before, bringing its toll to 36,565 deaths in France.
49,215 new cases of coronavirus contamination were recorded over 24 hours, against 47,637 the day before.
The test positivity rate continues to grow inexorably, to 20%, against 19.4% the day before, 18.6% Wednesday, and only 4.5% at the beginning of September.
Taking into account the discharges, the number of Covid-19 patients currently in intensive care has increased by 221 since Thursday.
The number of resuscitation beds, already raised from 5,100 to 5,800 after the first epidemic wave, rose to 6,400 at the start of the week and should soon exceed 7,000, according to the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"
Whatever we do, nearly 9,000 patients will be in intensive care in mid-November,
" Emmanuel Macron said this week, more than the 7,000 patients affected at the peak of the first epidemic wave in April.
France entered a second confinement on Friday, however less strict than in the spring.
"
There is no other solution,
" Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday evening, the day after the announcement of the measure by President Emmanuel Macron.
SEE ALSO -
Covid-19: Olivier Véran estimates that "
probably a million French people
" are currently carriers of the virus
