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French Hospital Federation Calls on Gov't to Impose National Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Surge

© REUTERS / PASCAL ROSSIGNOLNurses wearing protective masks and protective suits, work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated at the Le Bois private hospital in Lille, France, October 28, 2020
Nurses wearing protective masks and protective suits, work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are treated at the Le Bois private hospital in Lille, France, October 28, 2020 - Sputnik International
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PARIS (Sputnik) - The Hospital Federation of France (FHF) on Wednesday has urged the country's government to reintroduce a nationwide lockdown in order to ease the pressure on health care services amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

"As the virus continues to spread rapidly in France and Europe, hospitals are calling for the broadest possible lockdown. This solution appears to be the only one possible to allow for all French people to be successfully treated, regardless of whether they are sick with COVID-19 or other illnesses," the FHF said in a statement.

Frederic Valletoux, the FHF's president, said in the statement that France's previous nationwide lockdown, introduced in March amid the first wave of COVID-19, was successful, adding that it was vital to ensure that a third wave of the pandemic is avoided at all costs.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to discuss the country's current epidemiological situation in an address to the population later in the day. Domestic media outlets have reported that Macron may impose a nationwide lockdown.

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A rapid rise in new infections has been observed in France over recent weeks, prompting local authorities in 54 departments to impose a curfew from 21:00-06:00 (20:00-05:00 GMT).

However, the FHF called on the government to go further and introduce a nationwide lockdown, following the easing of social distancing measures over the summer months.

Just under 1.2 million cases of the coronavirus disease have been registered in France since the start of the outbreak, resulting in the deaths of more than 35,540 people. On Tuesday, the European country reported 33,417 new positive tests for the disease, and the death toll increased by 523.

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