IN FRANCE THE SITUATION IS DRAMATIC IN NURSING HOMES VERY IMPACTED BY COVID-19

USPA NEWS - Elderly people are at very high risk of death from coronavirus, not to mention the harmful effects of confinement on this population which particularly suffers from isolation. As of April 20, according to the government, there were 7,752 deaths in social and medico-social facilities and French Nursing Homes, also called Ehpad (Accommodation facility for dependent elderly people). And 23,668 cases confirmed in 5,741 social and medico-social establishments since the start of the epidemic. There are 700, 000 elderly living in nursing Homes in France.

THE BAN OF VISITS TO THEIR RELATIVE IN NURSING HOMES IS LIFTED-------------------------------------------------- On April 19, during the Press conference alongside the Prime Minster Edouard Philippe, Minister of Health Olivier Veran announced that visits suspended in these establishments since the beginning of March could be possible from now on, April 20 under certain conditions as he detailed the visit to their relatives in the nursing homes: "It will be at the resident's request, no more than two people from the family, not everyone at the same time (...) and with the continued impossibility of going to touch the person, there will be eye contact, we can spend a lot of things with our eyes. " --------------------------------------------- The technical managers of these facilities for elderly, will set up specific reception sanitation areas for families. In the meantime, visits will take place through a French window where residents will stay inside, and visitors outside, for only 30 minutes. Monday April 21, 22 residents of the Mars-la-Tour nursing home (Meurthe-et-Moselle in Lorraine) out of 51 died of COVID-19 in just two weeks. The Minister of Health, Olivier Veran, also recalled that medical consultations should not be postponed: they fell by 60% among specialists and by 40% among general practitioners. The Minister invited French women not to postpone a medical visit so as not to take any risks.