France records 180,000 new cases of Covid-19 within 24 hours, and has achieved a record since the beginning of the epidemic | Globalism

• Countries step up measures against micron ‘tsunami’
• France discovers 182,000 fake Covid passports

The data is a reflection of the high transmission of omicron variable across French territory. And Health Minister Olivier Veran predicted, during a press conference last Monday (27), when new health measures were announced in the country, “everything indicates that we can reach more than 250 thousand cases per day with the beginning of January.”

Since Monday, remote work has become the norm for all companies that can adopt it. A mask has also become mandatory on crowded streets, as well as indoors.

Bars and cafes, which already require a health passport at the entrance, are no longer able to serve standing customers, thus reducing congestion inside. And the number of people at events for the general public was limited: 5,000 people outdoors or 2,000 indoors, affecting matches and sports shows.

With the increase in cases, specialists criticized the position of the French government, which decided not to adopt a curfew that would disrupt the new year or postpone the return to school, as some neighboring countries did.

Dominic Costaliola, an epidemiologist and director of research at Inserm, in Le Monde, reacted on Tuesday: “I think we had to intervene when Ômicron started showing up in Europe” in mid-December. “On the contrary, we play Russian roulette hoping for the best.”

According to Santé publique France, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital continues to increase: there are currently 17,405 Covid patients in hospital, of whom 3,416 are in intensive care units.

Unvaccinated are the majority in hospitals. According to data from the French authorities, there are 176 unvaccinated patients in the intensive care unit per million inhabitants. While the rate is 6.68 per million people among those who have received the anti-coronavirus vaccine and booster for it.

New Year’s Eve in moderation

In order to reduce the “impact on society of multiplying pollution and contact cases, which can paralyze public and private services,” the government must “amend” by the end of the week the rules for isolating people who have tested positive and their contact cases.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanen urged mayors to take steps to “deter public meetings” and enforce the wearing of masks in the city centre, particularly on New Year’s Eve. Consumption of alcohol in the streets is prohibited on this date.

Emmanuel Macron’s government did not impose restrictions on the number of people at the December 31 party, but in a televised message they asked residents to reduce contacts and take moderation measures as a measure.

The next step that will be announced will be the adoption of a vaccination passport in the country, which is scheduled for mid-January. With this, only those who have been vaccinated will be able to access bars, restaurants, museums and places of access for the general public, for example. The goal is to reach the nearly 5 million French people still holding on to immunization.

However, for the measure to take effect, the Executive Authority Bill must be approved by the National Assembly.