The coronavirus epidemic situation in France is "very disturbing" and "deteriorating rapidly," Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon said on Monday, fearing a possible "saturation" in hospitals.
"The number of cases now doubles every three days," but "I want especially our citizens to realize that there are people who are sick, in intensive care and whose life is threatened, and these are in the hundreds," he insisted.
According to the latest figures from France's National Public Health Agency, the epidemic rose to 127 deaths and 5,423 confirmed cases on Sunday, which means 36 deaths and more than 900 additional cases in 24 hours.
"There is a concern that the speed of the epidemic leads to saturation in the French hospitals, which is what we absolutely want to avoid," Salomon said, referring in particular to the difficult situation in Alsace and Ile-de-France.
"This is why we must do everything we can to slow down this epidemic," he insisted, calling once again on the responsibility of the people and the strict application of “barrier” gestures.
"Each and every person in France must ask this morning: ‘how can I divide by three or four the number of people whom I approach?" he pleaded, thus adopting the new "cry of alert" launched by the medical corps, "Stay home! It's as simple as that."
The Brussels Times
