'Never seen before': 18,000 new COVID cases in France in a day - minister

Record ID: 1627708

  • Title: 'Never seen before': 18,000 new COVID cases in France in a day - minister
  • Date: 20th July 2021
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 20, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF PRINTEMPS DEPARTMENT STORE WINDOW DISPLAY EXTERIOR OF SHOP PEOPLE ENTERING SHOP WOMAN USING HAND GEL DISPENSER INSIDE SHOP
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2021 15:35
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus France fourth wave vaccine
  • Location: PARIS & CRETEIL, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS & CRETEIL, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EMNC9XJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:French Health Minister Olivier Veran said a record number of 18,000 new infections has been reached over the previous 24 hours in France on Tuesday (July 20), as the country is experiencing a fourth COVID-19 wave.
    "We have never seen this before. Not with COVID, neither with the English (Alpha) variant, nor the South-African (Beta), nor the Brazilian (Gamma)," he said while addressing the French National Assembly.
    Veran and other government officials have insisted for weeks on the importance of vaccination to contain the epidemic.
    "The target I set of 40 million people having received their first jab at the end of August, could and should be reached at the end of the month of July," French Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
    The French government is set to institute new measures such as requiring a health pass in a wide array of venues from the start of August and making vaccination mandatory for health workers, will still account for some of the toughest in Europe.
    Starting on Wednesday, a health pass proving that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recently had a negative coronavirus test or has newly recovered from the virus, will be necessary to access leisure and cultural venues with an attendance of more than 50 people.
    (Production: Elodie Bernollin, Emilie Delwarde, Lea Guedj)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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