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MAP: Pressure eases in French hospitals even as daily death rate shows slight rise

AFP/The Local France
AFP/The Local France - [email protected]
MAP: Pressure eases in French hospitals even as daily death rate shows slight rise
Photo: AFP

France on Tuesday recorded 330 new coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours, a rise in the daily toll as the country prepares to begin easing lockdown measures in less than a week.

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The latest deaths brought the total toll from the epidemic in the country to 25,531, according to France's Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon.

The 330 new deaths are also higher than 306 new fatalities recorded on Monday - although this could be due to a reporting lag from the three-day May 1st weekend.

The pressure on intensive care units continues to ease, with 266 fewer patients coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours to make a total of 3,430 patients receiving such urgent treatment.

France is due to emerge on May 11th from a lockdown that began in mid-March to combat the virus, with officials saying the epidemic is steadying while warning the country must remain cautious to ward off a second wave.

READ ALSO IN DETAIL France's plan for lifting its lockdown from May 11th

The health ministry also published updated maps showing the number of new recorded cases and the pressure on intensive care services in each département of France.

On Thursday, each of France's 101 départements will be given a designation - red or green - depending on the virus situation locally.

The map showing pressure on hospital intensive care services (below) had a smaller area coloured red than earlier in the week, reflecting the improved situation.

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The final designations will only be red or green, départements coloured yellow on the interim maps are currently undecided.

 

 

The same map from April 30th shows a larger portion of the country with a 'red' level for pressure on hospitals, with départements in the north east of the country still in the critical category.

The Tuesday map showing virus circulation (below) also showed a low level of new cases - although this could rise as France rolls out a more comprehensive testing programme from May 11th.

 

The final map shows a combination of the two factors to give the département its designation. Local authorities' testing programmes will also be taken into account in later maps.

 

The colour will then determine some aspects of the easing of lockdown restrictions, with green départements allowed to loosen some restrictions earlier, such as reopening parks and bringing back some classes of secondary school pupils.

READ ALSO France lockdown: What is the difference between a red and green département

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