Paris and other regions in France will start a monthly exclusion from Friday due to coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday, according to Le Parisien.
Send the news: The closure, the third for the French capital since the start of the pandemic, includes the closure of non-essential businesses, a curfew and restrictions on outdoor travel.
By the numbers: Since the start of the pandemic, France has seen 4.2 million cases of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
- Over the past 24 hours, France reported 34,998 new cases and 273 deaths, according to Le Parisien.
- Currently, 25,389 people are hospitalized due to the virus. More than 4,000 of the people are in intensive care.
The whole picture: President Emmanuel Macron opposed a third national exclusion due to the economic, social and psychological consequences, preferring local restrictions where cases and hospitalizations are increasing, according to France 24.
- Health authorities have begun transferring critically ill patients to less-affected regions to ease pressure on hospitals, writes AP.
- Castex also announced that the country will resume AstraZeneca vaccinations on Friday after the government suspended its use due to reports of blood clots at recipients of the vaccine.
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