PARIS, Sept 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The global number of confirmed
coronavirus cases crossed the 32 million mark on Thursday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on information from international
organizations, central and local authorities.
The number of cases has reached 32,039,142, as many as 22,024,644 patients
have recovered and 979,388 have died.
The United States accounts for the majority of cases (6,954,456), followed
by India (5,732,518) and Brazil (4,624,268).
To date, 1,128,836 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with
929,829 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data
indicates 19,948 fatalities nationwide.
France reported a new record for daily coronavirus infections on Thursday a day after the government announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants in major cities which have provoked an outcry from local politicians and business owners.
Figures from Public Health France showed that 16,096 people had tested
positive for Covid-19 over the last 24 hours, a record — though experts
advise that testing during the first coronavirus wave in March-April captured only a fraction of cases.
President Emmanuel Macron announced a series of new measures on Wednesday to try to slow the spread of the disease, including
the closure of all bars and restaurants in Marseille and earlier closing
times in Paris and elsewhere.
Faced with criticism from the mayors of Paris and Marseille, legal
challenges and calls from some bar owners to defy the new orders, Prime
Minister Jean Castex on Thursday announced more help for businesses forced to close or restrict opening hours due to the new measures.
“There is no question that you will suffer the consequences of these health
measures,” Castex told a Marseille restaurant owner who called into France 2 television.
The southern port city of Marseille has been put on “maximum alert”, while
Paris and 10 other cities are at “elevated alert” — the second tier on a new
sliding scale system of infection control measures.
Public gatherings in all of these cities — which includes Bordeaux and
Lyon — have been limited to 10 people, and attendance of large sporting
events or concerts to 1,000.
Owners of restaurants, cafes and other businesses in Marseille said they
would stage a protest against the new measures on Friday.
Paris hospital authority AP-HP said Thursday that an influx of coronavirus
patients was forcing it to start cancelling non-emergency surgery starting
this weekend.
The number of coronavirus patients in Paris hospitals had more than doubled in three weeks, from 150 to 330, and would probably reach 600 by month’s end, said deputy director Francois Cremieux.
Numbers of Covid-19 patients in intensive care have followed a similar
upward curve, from 50 three weeks ago to 132 on Wednesday and likely more than 200 by next week, he said. — NNN-AGENCIES
