As forecasted, the dreaded second coronavirus epidemic wave is hitting France this Fall. Even though more and more restrictions have been implemented in the country in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, the French government ultimately did not manage to avoid the scenario No.4: new nationwide lockdown.
Three weeks in the new nationwide lockdown, data seems to show the second coronavirus wave epidemic has peaked, a Santé Publique France release published on November 20, 2020 reads.
"Even though indicators remain high, their observation suggests the second wave has peaked" it explains. "Current results enable to notice a sharp decrease of all indicators, more noticeable in the first cities placed on curfew and subject to prior reinforced measures" Santé Publique France says before adding "temporality between implementing the first curfew and changing the trend a doze days laters" have had a "direct impact".
Despite such good data, Santé Publique France reminds how crucial it still is to keep on complying in preventive measures. "These encouraging results as for the evolution of the pandemic must not make people forget that while waiting for treatments and vaccines, the only way to halt the epidemic and lower its impact on the healthcare system and mortality remain complying with individual preventive measures along with collective measures".
Decreasing indicators
To say so, Santé Publique France relies on the latest data reported. Then, in Week 46, 182,783 new Covid-19 cases have been reported against 305,135 in week 45, naming a 40% decrease. Same report for the positivity rate, set at 16.2% in W46 against 19.7% in W45.
Last but not least, this week has been marked for the first time by decreasing Covid-19 hospitalizations including 17,390 hospitalizations recorded against 19,940 the week before.
As for new hospitalizations in intensive care units, Santé Publique France recorded this week 2,761 check-ins, against 3,037 in W45.
Back on November 16 already, Health Minister Olivier Véran said in an interview with Le Dauphiné Libéré that France was gaining control over the epidemic again and the country has passed the peak of the epidemic.
