COVID-19 pandemic in France

COVID-19 pandemic in France
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationFrance
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseBordeaux
Arrival date24 January 2020
(4 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Confirmed cases39,026,308[1] (updated 17 November 2024)
Deaths
168,091[1] (updated 17 November 2024)
Fatality rate0.43%
VaccinationsUpdated 17 November 2024:
  • 54,677,680[1] (total vaccinated)
  • 53,192,480[1] (fully vaccinated)
  • 158,060,080[1] (doses administered)
Government website
Public Health France

The COVID-19 pandemic in France has resulted in 39,026,308[1] confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 168,091[1] deaths.

The virus was confirmed to have reached France on 24 January 2020, when the first COVID-19 case in both Europe and France was identified in Bordeaux. The first five confirmed cases were all individuals who had recently arrived from China.[2][3] A Chinese tourist who was admitted to hospital in Paris on 28 January 2020, died on 14 February 2020, becoming the first known COVID-19 fatality outside Asia as well as the first in France.[4][5][6][7] A key event in the spread of the disease across metropolitan France as well as its overseas territories was the annual assembly of the Christian Open Door Church between 17 and 24 February 2020 in Mulhouse which was attended by about 2,500 people, at least half of whom are believed to have contracted the virus.[8][9] On 4 May 2020, retroactive testing of samples in one French hospital showed that a patient was probably already infected with the virus on 27 December 2019, almost a month before the first officially confirmed case.[10][11]

The first lockdown period began on 17 March 2020 and ended on 11 May 2020.[12] On 2 May 2020, Health Minister Olivier Véran announced that the government would seek to extend the health emergency period until 24 July 2020.[13] Several mayors opposed the 11 May 2020 lifting of the lockdown, which had been announced by the president a few weeks earlier in a televised address to the nation,[12] saying it was premature. Véran's bill was discussed in Senate on 4 May 2020.[14]

From August 2020, there was an increase in the rate of infection and on 10 October 2020, France set a record number of new infections in a 24-hour period in Europe with 26,896 recorded. The increase caused France to enter a second nationwide lockdown on 28 October 2020. On 15 October 2020, police raided the homes and offices of key government officials, including Véran and Philippe, in a criminal negligence probe opened by the Cour de Justice de la République.[15] According to a team of French epidemiologists, under 5% of the total population of France, or around 2.8 million people, may have been infected with COVID-19. This was believed to have been nearly twice as high in the Île-de-France and Alsace regions.[16]

On 31 March 2021, Macron announced a third national lockdown which commenced on 3 April 2021 and which was mandated for all of April 2021; measures included the closure of non-essential shops, the suspension of school attendance, a ban on domestic travel and a nationwide curfew from 7pm-6am.

In February 2022, it was reported that no tests are required to enter the country, and children under the age of 12 are free from vaccination requirements.[17]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mathieu, Edouard; Ritchie, Hannah; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Dattani, Saloni; Beltekian, Diana; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020–2024). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jacob-2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference AutoQ7-1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference StraitsTimesFourthCase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC-first-case-europe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference AutoQ7-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference apnews0673301985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference lepoint2369173 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference francetvinfo3889133 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Irish, John (4 May 2020). "After retesting samples, French hospital discovers COVID-19 case from December". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  11. ^ Deslandes, A.; Berti, V.; Tandjaoui-Lambotte, Y.; Alloui, Chakib; Carbonnelle, E.; Zahar, J.R.; Brichler, S.; Cohen, Yves (June 2020). "SARS-COV-2 was already spreading in France in late December 2019". International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 55 (6): 106006. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106006. PMC 7196402. PMID 32371096. Preprint on 3 May 2020.
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference macron13april was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "France to extend coronavirus emergency for two months". Al Jazeera. 2 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Coronavirus was present in France in December, doctor claims". The Telegraph. 4 May 2020. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  15. ^ Police raid homes of French officials in coronavirus probe, Reuters, 15 October 2020
  16. ^ En France, le Covid-19 aurait contaminé moins de 5 % de la population, loin de l'immunité collective Archived 14 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine 13 May 2020 Le Monde. Retrieved 15 May 2020
  17. ^ Skopeliti, Clea (12 February 2022). "France eases Covid travel restrictions for vaccinated British travellers". The Guardian. p. 1. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2022.