In an interview with Le Figaro, Jérôme Salomon called French to be vigilant: "one shall not relax in their efforts, even though they are currently on vacations", adding they shall "prepare for the epidemic to surge again, and even a second wave". Furthermore, the arrival of imported cases could also let think the epidemic is likely to return. The Scientific Committee said it was "extremely likely" for a second Covid-19 wave to arrive this Fall.
The wave has come and "it is violent", the French government says. One week after the implementation of the lockdown - soften than in March - the effects on the spread of the virus are not noticeable yet. As a matter of fact, as of Thursday November 5, almost 60,000 cases were reported Health director general Jérôme Salomon said during the weekly epidemiologic brief. The epidemic has now killed 39,037 people in the country, that is to say 363 more than the report provided on Wednesday, he added.
In a memo from Jérôme Salomon, presented to the Council of Defense, that Europe 1 got and that has been in very few hands - the radio says - Jérôme Salomon makes out an alarming report as for the effectiveness of the new lockdown that is thought to curb the new rise of the coronavirus epidemic.
According to the Health Director, the current measures are not likely "to get a reproduction rate of the virus at 0.7 like in April, but rather 0.9". It means it will take time to invert the virus curve in France with "a high and extended plateau".
In this memo, he says patient transfers are likely to increase especially for the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, the most hit region for the moment. Evacuations to Germany are also considered.
If for now making the lockdown harder is not considered by the government, things can change in a matter of weeks.
