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Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases, President Emmanuel Macron’s government has not yet declared a new national blockade, opting to tighten up measures locally in hard-hit cities like Nice and Dunkirk, but Paris has been spared so far.
“I ask everyone, and especially those who live in the capital, to be extremely careful, wear a mask and respect social distance. The objective is to reduce the pressure on the hospital system, ”said Castex during a visit to a hospital.
The number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care units on Friday exceeded 4,000 for the first time since November 26, with nearly 1,100 patients with COVID-19 in ICUs in the Paris region alone.
In Paris and the surrounding area, health managers say the intensive care units are almost overwhelmed.
Castex said that in the region of Ile-de-France, near Paris, the vaccination campaign will be accelerated this weekend, with the delivery of 25,000 extra doses.
France’s vaccination program has been hampered by logistical bottlenecks and problems with deliveries from vaccine manufacturers, but Castex said the campaign is accelerating, with 320,326 vaccines administered on Friday, a new record.
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(REUTERS)