PARIS (Reuters) – The number of patients with cornavirus in intensive care units in France rose on Saturday to the highest this year, health ministry data showed, as the government faced calls for a strict lockdown to curb a third wave of infections.
France had 4,791 ICU patients being treated for COVID-19, up from 4,766 on Friday, the data showed.
A further 194 deaths linked to the virus were recorded at hospitals in the past 24 hours, according to the data.
The intensive care numbers are approaching a mid-November high recorded during France’s second wave of the virus, though remain well below the more than 7,000 during its initial spring 2020 lockdown.
Doctors warn intensive care units in worse-hit regions could become overwhelmed and many say the government most go beyond partial lockdown measures.
French President Emmanuel Macron this week defended his decision to not impose a third lockdown, but said further restrictions would probably be needed.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Gwenaelle Barzic; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mike Harrison)
