Covid-19: 1 Parisian infected every 30 seconds and the virus won’t stop for Christmas – Health Minister Veran

The French health minister has warned that one Parisian is infected with Covid-19 every 30 seconds, while every 15 minutes a Paris resident is admitted to hospital as the government mulls reimposing an evening curfew on the city.

Health Minister Olivier Veran told RTL Radio on Tuesday morning that the French people should not expect a normal end to the year, but current measures could be relaxed if the national lockdown has the anticipated impact on infection rates. 

Veran also slammed suggestions made by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, that bookshops and stores should remain open during the national lockdown to keep commerce going. 

The health minister said that one Parisian is being infected with the virus every 30 seconds, and that one person is admitted to a Paris hospital every 15 minutes. His comments were followed by a statement by cabinet spokesman Gabriel Attal, who said the government is considering the reintroduction of a 9pm curfew in Paris, on top of the current national lockdown measures. 

The minister warned that the ability to celebrate Christmas in France will depend on the success of the national lockdown and whether pressure on hospitals has decreased. 

“Christmas will remain a celebration... We must anticipate the fact that the virus will always be there, it will not stop at Christmas and so you have to adapt.” 

Veran reinforced the need for everyone to respect the month-long national lockdown and help fight the pandemic. 

Speaking on Sunday, Arnaud Fontanet, a member of France’s Scientific Council, told RTL Radio that Covid-19 infections will drop by 65 to 80 percent over the course of one month and it will take two months to drop by 80 to 90 percent – by which time, the Christmas period will be upon us. 

France registered 52,518 new infections on Monday and 416 fatalities. The nation is the fifth most afflicted country in the world by diagnosed Covid-19 cases, with 1,466,433 recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

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