France Says Reopening Hasn’t Sparked Uptick In COVID-19 Infections

A couple kisses at the Garden of Tuileries in Paris on May 19, 2020, on the ninth day of a partial lifting of a near two month lockdown imposed in France to stop the spread of the pandemic caused by the new coronavi... A couple kisses at the Garden of Tuileries in Paris on May 19, 2020, on the ninth day of a partial lifting of a near two month lockdown imposed in France to stop the spread of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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PARIS — French authorities say they observe no signs of increase in the numbers of people infected with the coronavirus 10 days after the country ended its lockdown.

French Health minister Olivier Veran says the number of COVID-19 patients arriving each day at hospitals is decreasing, along with people treated in intensive care units.

He cautioned “this doesn’t mean the virus isn’t there” as the country gradually lifts restrictions. New clusters of COVID-19 cases have been recently discovered among slaughterhouse workers in western France and police officers in northern France.

Veran also promised that health workers in hospitals and nursing homes will see their salary increase as part of a new government plan for the public health system.

France has reported at least 143,400 cases of the virus and more than 28,000 deaths.

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  1. Now that’s a piece of good news…but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This pandemic hasn’t run its course yet.

  2. The street market reopened today in my little corner of France, as did pretty much everything except cafés, restaurants, and crowded places like theatres, but there are strict mask and other rules for public activity and transportation. It’s still very much a Covid life, but it does feel like a world of progress.

  3. This is a ridiculous inference. It can take up to 10 - 14 days to come down with covid-19 after exposure, and then up to another 10 or more days to develop symptoms serious enough to have to go to the hospital. Let’s see how they’re doing in three weeks.

    Who in France is saying this? Surely not their public health experts.

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