France readies for third lockdown as ICUs fillApril 3, 2021 - 12:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - France is battling a spike in Covid-19 patients in intensive care units as it prepares to go into a third nationwide lockdown, The Canberra Times reports. On Friday, April 2, there was another 145 people moved into intensive care units, the highest daily increase in five months, with 5254 people now in ICU with coronavirus. The risk of emergency wards being unable to cope was one of the main reasons for President Emmanuel Macron to order a third nationwide lockdown this week. After unsuccessfully trying to contain the virus with a curfew and regional lockdowns, France will start a third lockdown next week, with schools and non-essential businesses closed nationwide for four weeks. Macron said the number of ICU beds will be raised from 7000 to over 10,000. At the peak of the first lockdown in spring 2020, France saw a high of 7148 Covid-19 patients in ICUs, but that fell back to a few hundred in August following the strict first lockdown. During November's less restrictive lockdown, ICU numbers peaked at just under 5000, but since then they have only briefly dipped below 3000 in December. With new infections rising sharply, doctors expect the third wave of the virus will peak in the coming two weeks. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |