After surpassing 100,000 coronavirus deaths, France seeks a way out of the third wave

It is a symbolic number. At a time when Europe records more than a million deaths from COVID-19, France has passed 100,000 deaths, the vast majority of more fragile and vulnerable people.

According to data from the Inserm epidemiology center on the causes of death, this threshold has already been crossed for weeks. However, the milestone of 100,000 deaths linked to the pandemic results from the daily count made by the health security agency Public Health France (SPF).

These data are in line with the major influenza epidemics of the twentieth century: that of Hong Kong (1968-1970) killed 25,000, the Asian flu (1956-1958) claimed 30,000 victims, and the Spanish flu was responsible for at least 200,000 deaths in France in 1918.

There will be “obviously this moment of tribute and mourning for the Nation” in favor of the victims of the epidemic, said government spokesman Gabriel Attal.

“There are 100,000 families in mourning”added the official, while indicating that President Emmanuel Macron “had already had the opportunity to talk about it in the Council of Ministers”, but without giving a date for a possible national tribute. In his last televised speech on March 31, the French head of state had already mentioned “a year of sentence” in reference to 100,000 victims.

This figure places the country among the most affected in the world by the pandemic, an affront that complicates the government, at a time when the executive seeks to show a light at the end of the tunnel. “We join the sad list of countries that have reached 100,000 dead. We don’t want to do too much, ”admitted an executive adviser.

Only the United Kingdom (127,000 dead) and Italy (115,000) had already exceeded this symbolic threshold in Europe, but other countries such as Belgium or Portugal have a higher death rate per capita.

The number is also troublesome because questions crisis management, decisions to confine or not, when and in what way, This accelerates decisions to try to change the dissatisfaction of the French with the actions of the government and tired by the prolongation of the sequestration.

This third wave of the epidemic leaves questions about an easing of the limits in mid-May. President Emmanuel Macron will lead a meeting with ministers and scientists tomorrow to try to establish a response to a possible de-escalation roadmap.

If the death rate remains high in 2021, with more than 11,000 deaths in January, more than 10,000 in February and more than 9,000 in March. This past month reflects a slight drop due to vaccination in nursing homes, but also includes complications from the most contagious UK variant.

The forecasts are not yet optimistic. The coronavirus continues to circulate “very actively” on French territory and hospitals will face “very difficult” days, said Attal, a government spokesman.

France had 5,902 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care on Wednesday evening, 50 less than the day before; a level that remains well above the peak of the second wave, in the fall. In addition, infections reached 43,505 in 24 hours.

The timing of the vaccination does not allow you to relax your efforts. More than one in 5 adults received a first dose of the vaccine and just over 7% were vaccinated with two doses.

A tribute, no date

The newspaper Le Monde, speaks on its cover of “The Hecatomb of COVID 19”. In this sense, the families of the victims have asked for a tribute, although there is no determination in this regard.

The deputy for the environment Matthieu Orphelin presented a bill establishing a day of tribute to the victims. So far, Emmanuel Macron has mentioned the victims of COVID in his speeches, but there are no specific commitments to mark the occasion.

According to the Elysee, there could be a message from the president, the form of which remains to be determined, for a “mark of empathy”, specifies the newspaper Les Echos.

For the government spokesperson, a tribute could come “later.” “That moment will come, but here all our forces are thrown into the fight,” the official said.

For a source close to the president, “in the midst of a crisis, it’s too crass”, and recalls the critics for other gestures of recognition in the midst of the pandemic.

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