Alert! France detects the first case of the British strain

he French Ministry of Health registered this Friday more than 20,000 new infections of COVID-19, including first of the new british strain considered more contagious.

The man came from the islands and was in the town of Tours, in the hospital where he tested positive on December 21, according to BFMTV.

The Ministry of Solidarity and Health said the sample had been returned to the National Reference Center for Respiratory Infection Viruses for sequencing and analysis.

For its part, the patient remains asymptomatic and is isolated at home, when your contacts have already been traced.

MORE THAN 20,000 CASES

More specifically, according to data provided by the French health authorities, 20,262 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 this Friday, while 159 others died. Thus, France counts 2,547,771 cases in total and 62,427 deaths.

To date, 24,392 people remain hospitalized in France with COVID-19, including 2,695 in intensive care, including 112 admitted during the day.

France will start administering the first vaccines against COVID-19, the one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, this Sunday, as announced Monday by the French government.

The French strategy foresees prioritize vaccination of the elderly in nursing homes and workers in those homes who present risk factors. This first phase will reach about a million people.