France sees 'exponential' rise in coronavirus cases with 7,000 in a single day
28 August 2020, 19:00
France has recorded 7,379 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the highest figure since mid-April.
A statement from the Directorate General of Health warned: "In mainland France, the dynamic of the epidemic is growing exponentially."
It added: "Although remaining at limited levels, hospital indicators (new hospitalizations and intensive care admissions) are increasing, especially in regions where viral circulation is the most intense. 21 departments are currently classified as an active virus circulation zone (ZCA).
"Let us step up our vigilance and mobilize to continue to respect and enforce the barrier measures and common sense gestures in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic."
Currently, the country has currently recorded 30,596 deaths from Covid-19.
Holidaymakers spend £1,000 on early travel back from France to avoid quarantine
Currently, anyone who travels to the UK from France is required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously said it was unlikely the country will be re-added to the Government's travel corridor list anytime soon.
He told LBC: "At the moment I'm afraid France and Spain have both been going the wrong way.
"So just to put numbers on this, we respond when there are about 20 cases per 100,000 of the population measured over a seven-day rolling average. So 20 is the figure to bear in mind."
He added: "I think that the last that I saw of Spain it was up in the 40s and 50s so a long way off that, and France, who... quarantined from last weekend, I'm afraid to say we were right to do that because we've seen the cases continue to carry on up in France as well.
"And in order to put a country back in to the travel corridor, what we say is it needs to stay below that number for a couple of cycles. So a cycle is two weeks long for coronavirus."
