France has to move fast to head off new COVID-19 wave: PM Castex
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that the government must move fast to head off a deadly new COVID-19 wave as the virus's reproduction level has jumped, with infections surging in the Paris region and among young people
France's COVID-19 reproduction 'R' number is now 1.4, Castex told a news briefing, indicating that the overall epidemic is growing.
"The virus is spreading in all the regions," he said.
"The spread of the epidemic can be exponential if we do not react quickly," Castex told reporters.
Grandparents are being told not to pick up their grandchildren from school as the government is worried about hospitals being overwhelmed.
The government is hoping to avoid a new nationwide lockdown, but the country has been facing a resurgence of new COVID-19 infections since July, with an acceleration from mid-August.
The health ministry on Wednesday reported 5,429 new daily infections, a new post-lockdown high and a level of new infections not seen since the height of the epidemic in early April.
Castex said infection rate among the 20-30 years old age group is at 6%, higher than the national average.
The government is due to unveil details of the post-pandemic rescue plan to haul the 2.3-trillion-euro economy out of its deepest slump since World War Two on September 3.
Germany, Spain, UK tighten measures
Meanwhile, Germany trailed a 50-euro ($59) fine for those caught without a mask where it is compulsory and said fans may have to stay away from sports stadiums until at least December.
Madrid said children as young as six will be required to cover their nose and mouth at Spanish schools, while Britain reversed earlier guidance that pupils aged 11-18 did not need to wear masks.
The pandemic has killed more than 826,000 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, and more than 24 million infections have been recorded.
(Source: Agencies)
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