French authorities are preparing tighter restrictions in several cities to curtail a surge in Covid-19 cases that could again overwhelm hospitals, health minister Olivier Veran said Thursday, reports FRANCE 24.
Veran, who will now hold weekly press conferences to chart the outbreak's progression, said measures would be announced for Lyon and Nice by Saturday, after curbs on public gatherings were imposed this week in Bordeaux and Marseille.
Marseille could see even more restrictions, such as bar closings or a ban on public gatherings, "if the situation doesn't improve," he said.
Already the so-called incidence rate, the number of cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, stands at 200 in Lyon and Nice, which Véran said was four times the virus alert threshold.
And a growing number of patients require intensive care, he said, heightening fears of a surge that would strain hospitals and health workers after the pandemic flared in March.
"Our battle is to implement the measures that will avoid an influx at hospitals -- it's a race against the clock," Véran warned.
"We have to take these decisions at the right time; not too early because they are restrictions, but not too late either."
Véran also urged patience over Covid-19 tests following widespread complaints of long waits for appointments and results, especially in Paris and other large cities.