Daily Post – August 2nd | I do it my way

Living through a pandemic

in the south of France

500 days in Carcassonne since

1st lockdown in March 2020

DAILY STATISTICS HERE

▫️ FROM HOME’S NEWS DESK

✏️ ALERT – The ARS in Occitanie launched on Saturday an “emergency appeal to the population” to slow down the epidemic of covid as new hospitalisations have multiplied by more than ten in less than a month.
The fourth wave is sweeping through hospitals. Inexorably, the increase in infections has been accompanied by new hospitalisations due to Covid-19. This is particularly the case in Occitanie, where they have become particularly alarming. These have multiplied by more than ten in less than a month, warned this Saturday 31 July the Regional Health Agency (ARS), which is launching an “emergency appeal to the population” in order to “slow down the pace of the epidemic”.
All the lights are on red
On the map, the region is coloured scarlet. The incidence rate has reached almost 420 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase of 41% in one week. This alarming figure represents “more than eight times the alert threshold”, the agency said in a statement on the day a pharmacist was targeted by opponents of the health pass in Montpellier while carrying out screening tests. The most affected departments are Hérault and Pyrénées-Orientales, where the incidence rate is around 600.
“All age groups are concerned” – the incidence rate being “unprecedented” for 20-30 year olds – “with a very significant impact on the health system”, the agency warned. In fact, these contaminations are now weighing on health institutions. New hospitalisations have risen from 30 at the end of June to more than 300 this week, according to ARS figures. Admissions to critical care and intensive care units have also exploded, rising from less than 10 to more than 90 over the same period, the statement said.
“The proportion of Covid patients in intensive care now exceeds 21%, while our region, which is highly touristic, has a very high level of non-Covid activity in intensive care,” commented the ARS. Occitanie currently has just over 1600 intensive care and critical care beds.

Felicia Sideris

✏️ The balance of the epidemic in the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales on Sunday according to figures from Santé publique France.

There had not been a death caused by Covid-19 since 28 June in the Aude. This Sunday 1 August, a patient hospitalised in the department lost his life. The coronavirus has caused the death of 369 people in Aude since the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of people hospitalised remains stable compared to Saturday (53): 35 in conventional hospital (-2), 9 in intensive care (+2), 8 in follow-up care or long-term care and 1 in other structures. In the Aude, this Sunday, the incidence rate (474.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is almost stable compared to Saturday (476).

Pyrénées-Orientales: the incidence rate is below 600
In the Pyrenees-Orientales, the number of patients hospitalised because of Covid-19 continues to rise. This Sunday, it amounts to 94 (+3 in 24 hours): 50 in conventional hospitalisation (+3), 13 in intensive care (the same number as Saturday), 23 in follow-up or long-term care (as many as Saturday) and 8 in other structures (stable figure).
1 additional death is to be reported in the Pyrénées-Orientales this Sunday. The department counts 336 victims of Covid since the beginning of the epidemic.

Although it remains at a very high level (581 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), the incidence rate in the Pyrénées-Orientales has fallen below 600 for the first time since Sunday 25 July. A downward trend is confirmed as the rate decreases for the fourth consecutive day.

✏️ Motor Sport

I do not follow motor sport too much apart from the endurance racing championship (WEC) and mostly the Le Mans 24 hours which I attend regularly. I did not last year because it was postponed and spectators were not permitted. This year it is postponed again from the usual middle of June date to August 22nd. I had no intention of going but I am getting a little bit itchy. It will be a last minute decision I think. What brought his on you might ask, well Peugeot introduced their new so-called Hypercar for their return to the championship next year. For us followers, it is an absolute beauty. I have posted a picture and video on my Le Mans 24h blog. The other incentive is yesterday‘s win by an Alpine (French car) with a French driver at the wheel in the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix which I admit I did not watch live. The team Alpine has an endurance car which I have been supporting the past few years.