Will there be another Covid-19 epidemic surge in the coming weeks in France? So far, the question remains without an answer, but February 14’s issue of Journal du Dimanche speaks about a memo from the Health Minister dated from February 12, 2021. In this document, he urges hospital to move to “crisis organization”. The document released by JDD reads: “this crisis organization must be implemented in each region whatever hospital tension level is, and must be operational from Thursday February 18”.
As the latest hospitalization and ICU admission data were slightly decreasing, the health authorities are worried about the different variants. This Saturday February 13, hospitals yet reported 26,196 Covid-19 sick, against 26,424 the day before.
But what does this “crisis organization” actually mean? According to the document released by Journal du Dimanche, hospitals must reorganize in order to meet likely mass flow of patients. How? By increasing the number of beds available and therefore by cancelling some “non-urgent” surgeries. Hospitals also have to gather as many staff members as possible. Consequently, the different processes enabling to increase health workers’ worktime will be renewed.
Last but not least, the memo recommends to protect hospital staff. Therefore, if one of them test positive for the “standard” Covid-19 or for the UK variant, then the health worker must stop working and self-isolate for seven days. Self-isolation for 10 days is mandatory in the event the staff member has been infected by the Brazilian or South African variant. “This rule shall not bear any exception” the document states.
