By Wednesday 24 March 2021: Occupancy rates of intensive care beds increase sharply in Houts-de-France and Ole-de-France, two regions already above their initial capacity (135% and 120%, respectively). Pressure is also increasing in Grand Est (87% of its initial capacity), Normandy, Brittany, Auvergne-Rhône-Alps, New Aquitaine, Paez de la Loire and Brandy. These last two areas are reaching health emergency limits. Now, only two regions have not yet crossed this border into mainland France. The rate increases in Overseas, Guadeloupe and Martinique, but decreases in other regions.

Graphic. Development of occupancy rates of intensive care beds in French areas over the last four weeks. The blue dotted line represents the maximum alert level (set by the government at 30%), the red dotted line represents the health emergency level (set at 60%) And black dotted line initial potential in this region (before the epidemic). Click to view larger Sincerely: Nicolas Gutierrez c.

notes:
1. The threshold in the graph has been revised to adopt new alert levels set by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health: Maximum Alert (30%) and Health Emergency (60%).

2. Due to the time lag between the time of infection and admission to the ICU (approximately two weeks), Wednesday’s data shows the epidemic status two to three weeks earlier.