Over the past week, the circulation of Covid-19 continued to slow nationwide, resulting in lower hospitalizations, health authority figures showed on Thursday. This slowdown affected all age groups and metropolitan regions, indicated the French public health agency in a bulletin published on its site.
Last week, 40,841 cases were confirmed on average per day against more than 49,000 the previous week.
The number of new admissions “at a high level”
At hospital level, a decline in indicators began after several weeks of increases. The number of new admissions remains “at a high level (more than 7,000 new patients admitted)” but down 26% compared to the previous week. Admissions to critical care units are also down (to 626, a decrease of 25%).
This decrease, however, is part of a context of “triple epidemic”, which is testing the health system. The Covid is in fact added to the flu, the epidemic of which is affecting all regions of mainland France and overseas, and to bronchiolitis, which remains at “high levels”.
A “week of all dangers”, warns Braun
The Minister of Health François Braun also spoke on Wednesday of a “week of all dangers” for the health system. The health agency therefore reiterated its calls for anti-flu and anti-Covid vaccination for people at risk, especially the elderly, and for respect for gestures such as wearing a mask in closed and frequented places.
As of December 26, only 20.3% of 60-79 year olds and 22.3% of those aged 80 and over among eligible people (depending on the time since their last injection) had received a booster dose adapted to the Omicron variant.