Fewer contaminations, fewer people in critical care and fewer deaths: the wave of Covid-19 continues its slow decline, according to daily data from health authorities published this Friday, ten days before the lifting of most of the health restrictions in France.
An average of 52,173 cases per day
In the past 24 hours, 57,789 new cases have been recorded, according to the French public health agency, compared to 60,225 the day before. With this figure, the seven-day average, which gives an idea of the real evolution of the epidemic, declines to 52,173 cases, once morest 63,131 cases seven days ago. In hospitals, the trend is similar in intensive care units: 2,153 Covid-positive patients are indeed in critical care, down from the day before (2,231) and last Friday (2,546). In all, 22,643 patients are hospitalized with Covid-19, compared to 25,484 a week earlier.
End of mask wearing
Faced with this decline, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday the end of wearing a mask, except in transport, and the suspension of the vaccination pass from March 14. “In this favorable context, it seems essential to maintain barrier gestures (wearing a mask, washing hands, ventilating closed places) with a view to a global prevention approach and in particular to protect the most vulnerable” , however, underlined Public Health France in a press release on Friday.
Vaccination still on the way
Finally, vaccination continues at a moderate pace: 54.2 million French people have received at least one dose (i.e. 80.4% of the population), nearly 53.3 million are fully vaccinated (79% of the total population ), and more than 39.1 million received a booster dose, according to the Directorate General of Health.
