PARIS, France (AFP) — Two people were injured in a shooting outside a Paris hospital on Monday, a source close to the investigation said. No further details were available about the incident at the Henry Dunant private hospital owned by the Red Cross in the upmarket 16th district of the capital. © Agence France-Presse
Tag: France
French under-55s given AstraZeneca jab to get different second vaccine
by Paul RICARD and Stuart WILLIAMS PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Friday said under 55s who received a first injection of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine should be given a second jab from a different producer, but the WHO warned there was not sufficient data to recommend the practice. France’s national health authority HAS last month said the AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to those aged 55 and over because of reports of potentially […]
France says deficits rise as Covid destroys rebound hopes
PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s government deficit will deepen and public debt rise after a lingering Covid crisis smashed hopes of a rapid economic rebound, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday. The annual deficit, which has spiralled as President Emmanuel Macron’s government tries to prop up the struggling economy with massive spending, is now expected to reach nine percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, he told reporters. This compares to […]
Paris medics fear worst of Covid wave still to come
by Adam PLOWRIGHT PARIS, France (AFP) — In the Covid-19 intensive care unit of the Antony Private Hospital south of Paris, no bed stays free for long and medics wonder when their workload will finally peak. As one recovered elderly patient is being wheeled out of the ward, smiling weakly, boss Jean-Pierre Deyme is on the phone arranging the next arrival and calling out instructions to staff. Louisa Pinto, a nurse of nearly 20 years’ […]
Macron announces French school closure, nationwide restrictions
by Adam PLOWRIGHT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that French schools would close next week and a limited lockdown in place in Paris and other regions would be extended to the whole country to battle soaring Covid-19 cases. Macron said in an address to the nation that the current efforts to limit the virus “were too limited at a time when the epidemic is accelerating”. The spread […]
France to ban outdoor drinking under new virus restrictions
PARIS, France (AFP) — Alcoholic drinks will be prohibited in French parks and other outdoor public spaces as part of the new limited nationwide lockdown to stem the Covid-19 crisis, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday. Addressing the National Assembly, Castex also said authorities would be quick to disperse groups of more than six people on riverbanks or squares after the new restrictions unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron late Wednesday. Castex said he “unreservedly” […]
France tries to avoid another national lockdown
by Adam PLOWRIGHT PARIS, France (AFP) — The French government has vowed to do everything possible to avoid a third national lockdown, but with cases rising sharply almost everywhere and hospitals in Paris overflowing, can it avoid another crippling shutdown? This week will be decisive for the strategy overseen by President Emmanuel Macron and his government who argue that every day without a lockdown is a bonus for France which they see as exhausted after […]
French pharma firm guilty of fraud, manslaughter over weight loss pill: court
PARIS, France (AFP) — A French court on Monday found pharma giant Servier guilty of “aggravated fraud” and “involuntary manslaughter” over a diabetes and weight loss pill blamed for hundreds of deaths in one of the country’s biggest recent health scandals. The drug Mediator was on the market for 33 years and used by about five million people before being pulled in 2009 over fears it could cause serious heart problems — more than a […]
Paris hospitals face tough choices under Covid pressure: officials
PARIS, France (AFP) Paris hospitals are fast approaching saturation point because of snowballing Covid admissions and may be forced to turn patients away, top officials warned Sunday. “There’s a feeling of anger at finding oneself in a situation that will force you to do disaster medicine,” said senior Paris hospitals official Remi Salomon. “In 10 days, 15 days or three weeks we may be overwhelmed,” he told the all-news channel BFMTV, pleading for a new […]
Second French official hospitalized with Covid-19
PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s culture minister Roselyne Bachelot has been hospitalized after testing positive for Covid-19 over the weekend, a source close to the minister told AFP on Wednesday. The worsening symptoms for Bachelot, 74, comes after the announcement Monday that her cabinet colleague Elisabeth Borne, the 59-year-old labour minister, had also been hospitalized with the coronavirus. “Her condition is stable and is not worrying,” the source said, adding that Bachelot’s doctor ordered “increased […]
French PM announces limited Covid lockdown for Paris
by Stuart WILLIAMS and Adam PLOWRIGHT PARIS, France (AFP) — French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday announced a limited month-long lockdown for Paris and several other regions to combat surging Covid-19 cases, while insisting the measures would be less strict than in the past. While non-essential businesses will close and movement outside will be restricted in the affected regions, schools will stay open and outdoor exercise allowed up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) from […]
France virus cases surge as new restrictions loom
PARIS, France (AFP) — France recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus cases in nearly four months on Wednesday, with the hard-hit Paris region bracing for a possible weekend lockdown to stem the rising tide of cases. In the past 24 hours, 38,501 new infections were registered, up from 29,975 the day before, and the highest number since November, the public health authority said. The “positivity” rate — the proportion of positive results compared to […]
