less than 1,500 patients in shifts, the lowest figure since mid-October

THE ESSENTIAL

The number of Covid-19 patients treated in intensive care has fallen below 1,500, according to data from Public Health France published on Thursday. This is the lowest figure recorded since the beginning of October. But some variants are worrying more and more, like the Delta variant. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), it is expected to account for 90% of new cases in the EU by the end of August.

1,500 patients in shifts, the lowest figure since mid-October

The number of Covid-19 patients treated in intensive care has fallen below 1,500, according to data from Public Health France published on Thursday. This is the lowest figure recorded since the beginning of October. Hospitals welcomed 1,439 people on Thursday (against 1,509 on Wednesday) in these services, which treat those with the most serious forms of the disease. It had reached a record 6,001 patients on April 26, at the height of the third wave of the epidemic.

The number of daily admissions to critical care services remains among the lowest of this latest wave, with 27 people in the last 24 hours. The number of people hospitalized is also continuing to decline, with 9,392 patients. The disease has killed 45 patients over 24 hours in hospital, for a total of 110,935 deaths since the start of the epidemic, more than a year ago.

Since the start of the vaccination campaign, 20,124,046 people (28.9% of the total population) have been fully vaccinated, either with two injections or with a single dose if they have received Janssen, or if they had already been infected previously, according to figures from the Ministry of Health. 32,913,322 people received at least one injection (48.8% of the population and 62.2% of the adult population).

The Delta variant soon to dominate in the EU

The Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is particularly contagious, should represent 90% of new cases of Covid-19 in the European Union by the end of August, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimated on Wednesday. “It is very likely that the Delta variant circulates widely during the summer, especially among young people who are not targeted for vaccination,” warned Andrea Ammon, the director of the agency.

In France, this variant, which was initially spotted in India, now represents “between 9 and 10%” of new positive cases, up sharply compared to last week, the government said.

In Spain, return to normal for the public in the stadiums

Spain has approved the “return to normal” for the presence of the public in the stadiums of the Spanish football and basketball championship, announced the Minister of Health Carolina Darias.

New peak in Russia

More than 20,000 new coronavirus contaminations and 568 deaths have been recorded in 24 hours in Russia, highs that had not been seen since January.

More than 3.89 million deaths worldwide

The pandemic has killed at least 3,893,974 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established Thursday morning. The United States is the most affected country in terms of both deaths and cases, with 602,837 deaths. Brazil, which has 507,109 dead, is followed by India (391,981), Mexico (231,847) and Peru (191,073), the country which deplores the most deaths in relation to its population.