France
faces coronavirus ‘epidemic,’ Macron warns
Health
authorities say that there are currently 18 cases across the country.
By LAURIE
TRITSCHLER 2/27/20, 3:48 PM CET Updated 2/27/20, 4:11 PM CET
France is
on the verge of a coronavirus epidemic, President Emmanuel Macron said on
Thursday.
"We
are facing a crisis, an epidemic, that is coming," Macron told AFP as he
was visiting a Paris hospital treating patients infected with the virus.
Macron's
visit to the capital's Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital came after it recorded the
first virus-related death of a French national on Wednesday. The French health
ministry's website currently lists 18 coronavirus cases across the country.
As he
toured the hospital, Macron was confronted by one doctor, neurologist François
Salachas, who told the president: "When Notre Dame needed to be saved,
there was huge support. Now we need to save French hospitals."
Macron, who
became president in 2017, responded by saying his predecessors had neglected
the health service for years.
"I
sometimes feel like I have to pay for many accounts that have not been
settled," Macron said.
Wednesday's
death of a 60-year-old man was the second virus-related fatality in France. An
elderly Chinese tourist passed away two weeks ago after becoming infected with
coronavirus.
Authors:
Laurie Tritschler
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