Three other French departments, including Rhône, the capital of Lyon, have been tightened because of the coronavirus, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the French government.
The measures will be implemented in the central departments of Aub and Niever and in the southeastern department of Rhône, said Health Minister Olivier Veran.
A week ago, similar measures were imposed in the Paris area and in much of northern France, where shops that do not sell basic necessities have been ordered to shut down. Restrictions were also placed on how far people could move away from their homes. “The KOVID-19 pandemic is accelerating almost everywhere in France,” he said.
The new restrictions take effect at midnight on Friday and will be added to those imposed across the country. Curfew is in force throughout France and restaurants, bars, museums and cinemas are closed. In the last 24 hours, 45,641 new cases have been registered, after 65,373 newly infected cases were reported yesterday, a number similar to those in November, when France was subjected to a second national quarantine. The number of patients in intensive care units increased by 58, reaching a record level of 47,009 in 2021. The number of hospitalized exceeded 27,000 for the first time in six weeks.
“The pressure on the hospital system will continue to increase in the coming days,” Veran stressed, adding that the effect of the new restrictions will only be felt after at least 10 days. The death toll in the last 24 hours is 225, bringing the death toll to 93,378, putting France in eighth place in the world. In terms of the number of infected since the beginning of the pandemic, 4.42 million, the country is in fifth place.
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