As the number of coronavirus patients requiring intensive care may overwhelm the intensive care unit (ICU) network, hospitals in the Paris area have been ordered to cut routine surgical and medical procedures by 40%.
“This is a very stressful situation,” regional health chief Aurelien Rousseau told AFP on Monday. The region of Île-de-France, including the capital Paris, has a population of approximately 12 million. Currently, there are 973 Covid-19 patients in ICU beds with a total capacity of 1,050.
Two weeks ago, the number surged, with 70 to 80 patients admitted to the hospital every day, while the number of patients discharged was only half, a net increase of 35 cases every day. Rousseau said: “We need to respond quickly,” Rousseau issued a “resolute and immediate order” to cancel 40% of scheduled hospitalizations.
It is estimated that Covid’s medical capacity may be exhausted this week. Rousseau made this call while the central government is trying to avoid imposing another nationwide blockade. In the past 24 hours, 21,825 new cases were reported on Sunday, including 130 deaths.
France is encouraging more people to get the Covid-19 vaccine. According to government data, approximately 585,000 vaccines were provided over the weekend, increasing the number of vaccinated people to 5.5 million.
France has approved three vaccines from Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford University. Fourth, the single-dose prick initiated by Johnson & Johnson may be approved by the EU drug regulatory agency before Friday.
