France daily toll continues to fall, with no second wave yet seen

The number of coronavirus deaths registered in France over the past 24 hours dipped to 83 on Thursday, as a top doctor said he was not seeing a second wave of infections despite the country easing its lockdown.

The latest deaths in hospitals and nursing homes brought France’s total toll from the pandemic to 28,215, the health ministry said in a statement.

The trends remained optimistic, with 49 fewer people in intensive care for a total of 1,745 patients – a number that exceeded 7,000 at the peak of the crisis.

France on May 11 allowed the first easing of its lockdown imposed to fight the virus, and officials have said it is too early to draw conclusions that there is no sign yet of a second wave of infections.

But Patrick Pelloux, the president of France’s emergency doctors’ association, said he feared “less and less” that there would be a second wave of infections due to the easing.

“The mathematical modelling allowed the possibility of a rise … with a small peak which was to start now,” he told France 2 television.

But “in fact we do not see it,” he said.

“This does not mean that the epidemic has stopped,” he added, emphasising the need to continue to respect social distancing and wear a mask.

“But we are not seeing a second wave coming.”