France's COVID-19 data improve, Italy's infections plateau; Germany to extend partial lockdown
PARIS -- France's new COVID-19 infections slowed to 13,563 on Thursday, while hospital admissions continued to fall as the government is unwinding restrictions and planning the vaccination campaign, official data showed, Xinhua reports.
Thursday's count took France's total number of infections since the outbreak to 2,183,660. The daily tally was down by 2,719 from a day before. Another 339 people died from the coronavirus, bringing the toll to 50,957.
As of Thursday, some 29,310 people were hospitalized, 662 fewer than the previous day, while some 4,018 required life support, down by 130.
Early Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters that pressure from the epidemic is weakening more in France than in other European nations.
The virus reproduction rate, the «R» rate, is now at 0.65 countrywide, the same level France had reached when it emerged from a three-month confinement in mid-May, he added.
ROME -- The coronavirus mortality rate in Italy continued to climb while the rate of new infections inched lower, though health experts warned against relaxing restrictions.
There were 29,003 new infections in Italy recorded Thursday, an increase from 25,851 a day earlier, but the daily figure stayed below 33,000 for the 10th time in 13 days since the infection rate topped 40,000 on Nov. 13.
The GIMBE Foundation, a health sector observatory group, reported Thursday that for the first time since the start of the second coronavirus wave in September, the weekly number of infections declined, totaling 216,950 for the week ending Nov. 24, a decline from the previous weekly total.
But GIMBE Foundation President Nino Cartabellotta warned that the apparent progress on the infection rate did not mean the government should ease coronavirus health restrictions when it releases its next coronavirus decree on Dec. 3.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte appeared to heed scientific warnings, telling the Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica that the new decree would exercise «great caution» while balancing health concerns and the popular desire for Italians to visit family over the December holidays.
Other key indicators that are positive include a decline of the number of patients in intensive care units, the fourth time since mid-October.