{"id":107068,"date":"2021-02-14T19:37:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-14T19:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=107068"},"modified":"2021-02-14T19:37:57","modified_gmt":"2021-02-14T19:37:57","slug":"french-hospitals-to-move-into-crisis-mode-from-thursday-report-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/french-hospitals-to-move-into-crisis-mode-from-thursday-report-says\/","title":{"rendered":"French hospitals to move into crisis mode from Thursday, report says"},"content":{"rendered":"
PARIS (Reuters) – France\u2019s Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter \u201ccrisis organisation\u201d to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants, Le Journal Du Dimanche reported.<\/p> The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when France went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources.<\/p>\n \u201cThis crisis organisation must be implemented in each region, regardless of the level of hospital stress and must be operational from Thursday Feb. 18,\u201d the DGS health authority said in a memo cited by the newspaper on Sunday.<\/p>\n The DGS said in an emailed response to Reuters that the memo reflected an \u201canticipatory approach\u201d in view of ongoing pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cIts goal is to mobilise all health players in the country in case there is a flare-up in the epidemic, which can happen as virus variants circulate,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Reuters was not able to independently confirm the contents of the memo cited by Le Journal Du Dimanche.<\/p>\n France reported 21,231 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, slightly up from 20,701 on Friday, taking the total cumulative number in France to 3,448,617, the sixth-highest in the world.<\/p>\n In contrast with some of its neighbours who are struggling to control more contagious variants, France has resisted a new lockdown, hoping a national curfew in place since Dec. 15 will contain the pandemic.<\/p>\n Some scientists, however, believe President Emmanuel Macron took a gamble in deciding against a new lockdown.<\/p>\n At the same time, France trails behind several other European countries, such as Britain, in rolling out vaccinations.<\/p>\n Health Minister Olivier Veran, who noted the variant first detected in Britain accounted for 25% of confirmed new infections in France, said on Thursday the government would decide in the coming weeks whether tougher national restrictions were necessary.<\/p>\n Arnaud Fontanet, a member of the scientific council that advises the government on COVID-19 policy, told Europe 1 radio on Saturday he feared this variant could account for the majority of cases in March.<\/p>\n