France may be experiencing 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day – government advisor

A woman wearing a protective face mask as a measure against the spread of the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic, rides a bicycle on October 22, 2020 in a street of Saint-Etienne, central eastern France. (File/AFP)
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Updated 26 October 2020
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France may be experiencing 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day – government advisor

  • France registered a record 52,010 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours

PARIS: France may be experiencing 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day — two times more than the latest figures — Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government on the pandemic, told RTL radio on Monday.
“There is probably more than 50,000 cases per day. We estimate, on the scientific committee, that we are more in the region of 100,000 cases per day,” said Delfraissy.
France registered a record 52,010 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday, as a second wave of cases surges through Europe.
The new cases took the French total to 1,138,507, with France now ahead of Argentina and Spain to register the world’s fifth highest number of cases after the United States, India, Brazil and Russia.


Fourth Palestine Action activist ends hunger strike in UK prison

Protesters take part in a demonstration in support of "Defend Our Juries" and their campaign against the ban on Palestine Action
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Fourth Palestine Action activist ends hunger strike in UK prison

  • Amy Gardiner-Gibson began eating again after 49 days of protest
  • Govt rejects claims it ignored prison safety protocols

LONDON: A fourth Palestine Action activist imprisoned in the UK has ended her hunger strike.

Amy Gardiner-Gibson, who also uses the name Amu Gib, began eating again after 49 days of fasting, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said.

Qesser Zuhrah, another activist, ended her hunger strike last week after 48 days but said she might resume it next year, Sky News reported.

Four Palestine Action activists have now ended their hunger strikes while in prison, while four others are continuing to fast.

All of them are in prison on remand, awaiting trial for a series of high-profile alleged break-ins and criminal damage.

Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization and banned earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in central London at a rally in support of the hunger strikers.

The protesters are demanding that weapons factories in Britain with ties to Israel be shut down, as well as the removal of Palestine Action’s proscription.

They are also calling for immediate bail to be given to imprisoned pro-Palestine activists and an end to the alleged mistreatment of prisoners in custody.

Seven imprisoned members of Palestine Action have been transferred to hospital over the course of the hunger strike campaign. Doctors have highlighted concerns about the long-term impact of fasting on the activists.

Lawyers representing the group on Monday initiated legal action against the government over its alleged failure to follow prison safety regulations.

The government, however, has rejected this accusation, Sky News reported.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Ministers do not intervene in individual cases. Where individuals are on remand, doing so would risk prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings and undermine the independence of the justice system.

“Concerns about welfare and process can be raised through established legal and administrative channels, including prison governors and ultimately the prison and probation ombudsman.

“Healthcare decisions are taken independently by qualified NHS professionals and appropriate care and oversight frameworks remain in place.”

The activists still on hunger strike include Heba Muraisi and Teuta Hoxha. Hoxha has been on remand for 13 months and her family told Sky News they feared she would die in prison.

Another of the activists, Kamran Ahmad, is believed to have been on hunger strike for 45 days and hospitalized three times.

Lewie Chiaramello, who has Type 1 diabetes, is on day 31 of his strike and taking part by fasting every other day.