Friday, March 29

COVID in Europe: France reports ‘tidal wave’ of new infections as Italy records are broken


France is one of several European countries reporting record numbers of coronavirus infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, as The World Health Organization warns that more than half of the population in its European region could be infected with the new variant in the next two months.

In neighboring Italy, health authorities also reported a record number of new cases on Tuesday, more than double the number announced the day before.

Turkey is another country where cases are growing rapidly, with more than 74,000 new infections reported yesterday.

Here’s a look at the top COVID-19 stories in Europe.

‘We have never observed such figures’

More than 360,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours have placed France at the top of an unenviable list.

According to the Johns Hopkins University data, France is now the second country in the world with the most new cases confirmed daily, only after the United States.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran said it was “a tidal wave of infections.”

“We have never seen such numbers since the beginning of the health crisis. It’s a tidal wave. The term is equal to the number of infections, 22,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 3,900 in the ICU ”, revealed Véran.

Meanwhile, protesters demonstrated in Paris and Lyon on Wednesday to demand more resources for French hospitals, a pay increase and better working conditions, as part of a day of national protests.

Italian health officials urge people to get the vaccine

In neighboring Italy, health officials are urging people to get vaccinated, as the country also reported a record number of new cases: more than 220,000 -, more than double the figure announced the day before.

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Although most infections are less serious than those caused by other variants, unvaccinated people are still very vulnerable.

In the hospital of Cremona, in the north of the country, medical personnel ask that people be vaccinated to guarantee “less hospital admissions”.

“The vaccine is the active tool in our possession that guarantees the least damage to the health of people infected with the virus. It also guarantees less hospital admissions and even less admissions to intensive care units, ”explained Enrico Storti, director of the Intensive Care Unit. at the Cremona Hospital.

All beds in the Intensive Care Unit of the Cremona hospital are occupied by seriously ill COVID-19 patients, 70% of them unvaccinated.

Turkey’s health minister warns Omicron will be dominant

Meanwhile, Turkey is just another country joining France and Italy in rapidly growing cases, with the Middle Eastern country reporting 74,226 new infections on Tuesday.

At the end of December, the number of new cases was only about 20,000.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has warned that Omicron will be dominant in the coming weeks.

This level of infection was last seen in late April 2021, when Turkey’s stricter lockdown was announced.

Turkey has so far administered 137 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including nearly 19 million booster vaccines. About 60% of the adult population is fully vaccinated and 83.74% have received two doses.

The total death toll from the virus is 83,980, according to official statistics.

The rapid growth of new cases due to the Omicron variant is a story that most of Europe is currently experiencing, and the ability to cope depends on the availability and acceptance of the vaccine.

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www.euronews.com

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