French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne warned on Tuesday of a resurgence of COVID-19 in France, saying that “more than 40,000 new cases” are being detected in the country each day.
Speaking to the French National Assembly, Borne expressed concern over the low rate of booster vaccination among those considered at high risk from the virus, warning that COVID-19 “still kills.”
Only 10 percent of people in the high-risk category have had a booster shot, she said.
“The COVID epidemic is starting again,” she told French deputies, with an increase of almost 10 percent in hospitalizations in one week, a 22 percent increase in hospitalizations in critical care, and 400 deaths from COVID-19 last week.
She added: “This new wave reminds us that the virus has not disappeared.”
The first French female prime minister also warned that the country’s hospital system would face “additional pressure” due to the resurgence of COVID-19 amid the flu epidemic, and the worst bronchiolitis epidemic in France in 10 years.
Borne called for the re-introduction of certain preventive measures, including wearing masks around vulnerable people and in crowded areas.
