PARIS - French authorities may place Paris on maximum virus alert as soon as Monday, potentially requiring all bars to close as the number of Covid-19 cases surges, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday .
"We need a few days to confirm the trends, but if they are confirmed, we'll have no choice but to put it on maximum alert, from Monday," he said, adding that could require"a total closure of bars."So far, only the southern city of Marseille and the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe have been placed on maximum alert, leading to bar, as well as restaurant closures, and a shutdown of public venues such as museums and cinemas unless strict safeguards are in place.
Veran also said that 30 to 35 per cent of intensive care beds are occupied by coronavirus patients in Paris and surrounding communes, again above the critical level of 30 per cent.
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