France moves seven more departments into Covid-19 'red zone'

French health authorities have put seven more departments, which include key hubs like Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon, on high alert as Covid-19 infections continue to rise nationwide.

Lille (pictured), Strasbourg and Dijon are among several key cities back in the Covid-19 red zone, after France placed seven departments back on high alert. DENIS CHARLET / AFP

Of France's 101 mainland and overseas departments, 28 are now considered "red zones" where authorities will be able to impose exceptional measures to slow the number of new coronavirus cases.

The move comes as France reported a record of nearly 9,000 daily cases on Friday, and a further 8,550 cases in the last 24 hours to Saturday, when the nationwide test positivity rate increased to 4.7 percent.

Paris and the Bouches-du-Rhone department encompassing the southeastern city of Lyon were the first to be placed on high alert by the government on August 14 after infection rates began to climb.

• Paris, Marseille move back into Covid-19 'red zone' as infections rise

That prompted local officials to require face masks in all public spaces to slow the virus's spread, in hope of avoiding a spike in cases that could again overwhelm hospitals as autumn approaches.

The Sante Publique France health agency, which has warned of "exponential" caseload increases, said Saturday that 53 new outbreak clusters had been discovered in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number under investigation to 484.

🔴 ALERTE INFO - #COVID19 : 484 clusters sont en cours d'investigation en #France dont 202 en EHPAD. Il y en a eu + 53 en 24h aujourd'hui. (Santé Publique France) #coronavirus https://t.co/IHjeyJAqJo

— FLASH INFO Ile-de-France (@info_Paris_IDF) September 5, 2020

Twelve more Covid-19 deaths were reported, for an overall toll of 30,698 since the pandemic flared last March.

Concerns over infection risks have already prompted officials to close 22 schools after cases were detected just days after students returned from the summer break last week, and dozens of individual classes have also been suspended.

On Sunday, the government said pre-school teachers as well as those with deaf students would soon be given transparent masks to facilitate comprehension at a crucial education stage for young children.

"More than 100,000 of these masks will be produced by the end of this month," the state secretary in charge of people with disabilities, Sophie Cluzel, told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

(with AFP)