32,867 patients are currently in hospital with a Covid diagnosis (including 1,816 admissions in the past 24 hours) compared to 32,988 on Friday and 31,282 a week ago, according to Public Health France. Critical care services received 3,606 patients (including 225 admissions) against 3,618 on Friday and 3,634 a week ago.
The number of new cases stood at 214,542 against 241,049 the previous day. On average over seven days, 256,329 daily cases have been recorded, a sharp drop from the 345,491 recorded a week ago, seeming to confirm that the peak of contamination has passed.
More than 16,800 classes currently closed
Now dominant, the Omicron variant causes less severe forms of Covid, which results in shorter hospital stays and a lower risk of going to intensive care. The government began on Wednesday to lift restrictions on the French, ending the wearing of masks outside, gauges in places receiving the seated public or compulsory teleworking.
At school, given a drop in indicators, the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer assured Friday that the health protocol linked to Covid in schools should be lightened after the February holidays. According to figures from the ministry, 16,836 classes are currently closed, compared to more than 20,000 last week, and 410,000 cases of Covid have been identified among students over 7 cumulative days (570,000 contaminations last week).
In addition, 54,083,440 people have received at least one injection (80.2% of the total population) and 52,894,949 are fully vaccinated (78.5% of the population).