In front of the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in the region, the Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency announces the opening of 96 new intensive care beds. “The region has known for several days and weeks a rapid and very significant increase in the number of cases of Covid-19. This dynamic will be reflected in the coming weeks by an increase in patients in intensive care”, specifies the ARS in a press release published this Wednesday, October 21.
To open these additional beds, the agency asks hospitals “to immediately initiate the deprogramming and reprogramming necessary to arm without delay the 96 additional resuscitation beds already identified by the hospitals and which can be mobilized within 48 hours”.
A particularly worrying situation in Roubaix and Tourcoing
The situation in Roubaix and Tourcoing is being followed closely by the authorities. And for good reason, in a press release, the Tourcoing Hospital Center explains that it is facing a significant increase in the epidemic. “which places the establishment in a critical situation”. The establishment accommodates nearly a hundred coronavirus positive patients who are distributed in all departments. They represent half of the patients received in intensive care. During a crisis meeting, Tuesday, October 20, it was decided to temporarily suspend the visits (except in certain services, notably maternity, neonatology and pediatrics where they are limited to one or two accompanying persons) and to increase the deprogramming of activities, from this Wednesday in this hospital center.
However, the hospital center benefits from reinforcements from liberal nurses, nursing students and retired health professionals. In addition, many hospital employees agree to work overtime to make up for absences. They “represent over 20 full-time jobs in a single week”.
In Roubaix, the incidence rate – that is to say the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 7 days – reached the impressive figure of 1,135 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and thus ranks the municipality among the most affected in France.
Virus circulation accelerates throughout the region
This incidence rate is increasing throughout the region and the number of hospitalized and intensive care patients has increased continuously since mid-September.
So, 1,364 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus in the region October 20 versus 953 seven days earlier. 226 were in intensive care units.
Faced with this, ARS Hauts-de-France renews its call for the vigilance and responsibility of everyone and recalls the importance of “respect for barrier gestures, including social distancing and wearing a mask, respecting the curfew in the areas where it applies and limiting social interactions by applying the 6-person rule remain the most effective actions for fight against the spread of Covid-19 “.
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