On Friday 7,379 cases were confirmed in France, bringing the total number of cases to 267,077. This was the largest daily spike since March 31 when France hit the peak of its first wave with 7,578 cases. With 5,453 new cases on Saturday, and the health ministry described the situation as “worrying”. Despite this spike, deaths and number of patients in intensive care have seen a slight drop.
Shortly before the release of Friday's figures, Mr Macron said a second nation-wide lockdown may be in place if infections spiral out of control. He urged the people to be "collectively very rigorous" in their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
France began easing lockdown in May, but some parts of the country - including the capital, Paris - remained under strict regulations. Local authorities were given the power to enforce lockdown measures in areas where cases were increasing. Masks have been made compulsory in Paris and other cities, as the government seeks to avoid another lockdown that could undo the country's fragile economic recovery.
Spain and Germany have also recorded their highest numbers of daily cases in recent days, and the WHO has warned of a second wave in Europe.
On Thursday, the director-general of the WHO's Europe office said young people should be concerned about the virus. He said "It may be that the younger people are not necessarily going to die from it, but it's a tornado with a long tail. It's a multi-organ disease, so the virus is really attacking the lungs, but also the heart and other organs,".
Written by Anushree Appandairajan
Artwork by Zara Masood
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