Darkest day yet for France as a record 499 people die from coronavirus in last 24 hours
France has reported its darkest day yet with a record 499 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, taking the country’s total death toll to 3,523.
This marks the biggest jump in deaths since the start of the pandemic. France has a total of 52,128 cases of COVID-19, according to official figures.
There are now 22,757 people hospitalised in France with COVID-19, with 5,565 of them in intensive care, health official Jerome Salomon told reporters in his daily update.
The French death toll includes only those who died in hospital and not those who died at home or in old people’s homes.
Paramedics wearing protective masks transport a patient at the Henri Mondor hospital in Creteil, near Paris, on Tuesday +20
Paramedics wearing protective masks transport a patient at the Henri Mondor hospital in Creteil, near Paris, on Tuesday
A medic examines coronavirus patients at the Franco-British hospital in Paris +20
A medic examines coronavirus patients at the Franco-British hospital in Paris
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France is rushing to produce millions of face masks and thousands of ventilators as reliance on imports to fight the coronavirus has exposed the country’s need for ‘independence’ in producing vital medical equipment, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.
‘We have to rebuild our national and European sovereignty,’ Macron said as he visited a surgical mask factory in Saint-Barthelemy-d’Anjou, near Angers in western France, where he donned a mask, coveralls and a plastic hairnet to tour the facility.
Macron promised ‘full independence’ by the end of the year in the production of protective face masks for France, which like most other countries was woefully understocked when the epidemic struck.
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With some 40 million masks required per week for frontline medical staff, the government had placed orders for over a billion masks to be delivered in the coming weeks, mainly from China.
In the meantime, local production is being ramped up, with capacity to reach 10 million masks per week by the end of next month, compared to 3.3 million per week before the crisis struck.
The number could rise to 15 million per week with the aid of several companies that have volunteered contributions.
French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech at the end of a visit to the Kolmi-Hopen protective face masks factory in Saint-Barthelemy-d’Anjou near Angers, central France on Tuesday +20
French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech at the end of a visit to the Kolmi-Hopen protective face masks factory in Saint-Barthelemy-d’Anjou near Angers, central France on Tuesday
A near-empty Paris subway station. France is rushing to produce millions of face masks and thousands of ventilators as reliance on imports to fight the coronavirus has exposed the country’s need for ‘independence’ in producing vital medical equipment, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday +20
A near-empty Paris subway station. France is rushing to produce millions of face masks and thousands of ventilators as reliance on imports to fight the coronavirus has exposed the country’s need for ‘independence’ in producing vital medical equipment, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday
France has entered its 5th day of a strict lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus +20
France has entered its 5th day of a strict lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus
An almost empty carriage on a Paris subway train. In terms of the urgent need for ventilators to help the most serious COVID-19 cases, Macron announced that 10,000 would be produced by a consortium of companies at two factories in France +20
An almost empty carriage on a Paris subway train. In terms of the urgent need for ventilators to help the most serious COVID-19 cases, Macron announced that 10,000 would be produced by a consortium of companies at two factories in France
In terms of the urgent need for ventilators to help the most serious COVID-19 cases, Macron announced that 10,000 would be produced by a consortium of companies at two factories in France.
Of these, 4,500 will be delivered during the last two weeks of April, and the rest before mid-May.
France has entered its 5th day of a strict lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus.
