The average number of positive Covid-19 cases continues to rise while hospitalizations are only dropping moderately, according to figures released by health authorities on Monday.
24,179 new cases on Monday
The number of new cases identified on Monday is 24,179, against 18,853 seven days earlier, according to Public Health France. The figure published on Monday is generally low compared to other days of the week, as it reflects the closure of laboratories and pharmacies on Sunday.
The seven-day average, which smooths out the daily jolts, stands at 89,763 cases, compared to an average of 65,882 cases last Monday and 52,715 the previous day.
1,632 patients in critical care
At the same time, the number of Covid patients in critical care, a highly scrutinized indicator, continues to decrease, with 1,632 people in intensive care units, compared to 1,642 the day before and 1,826 last Monday.
20,706 patients hospitalized in total
Hospitals are welcoming a total of 20,706 Covid patients (including 1,401 new patients), compared to 20,925 patients on March 14, thus marking a slowdown in the drop in the number of people hospitalized.
In France as elsewhere in Europe, the fifth wave of Covid-19 does not end: what worries now are hospitalizations, which are no longer falling, reviving criticism of a premature lifting of measures by the government.
More worryingly, the number of new hospital admissions has leveled off. “For two days, the number of hospitalizations has not fallen,” noted the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, in Le Parisien on Monday.
162 additional deaths
In the past 24 hours, 162 deaths have been recorded, while 141,085 people have died since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago in hospitals, retirement homes or other medico-social establishments in due to Covid-19 infection.
53.31 million French people have a complete vaccination schedule
On the vaccination side, 54.23 million people in total have received at least one injection (80.4% of the total population), according to the General Directorate of Health, and 53.31 million have a complete vaccination schedule (79.1 %).