French ICU units to hit record saturation in two weeks without new measures - government

FILE PHOTO: Physiotherapist Adrien talks to a doctor as he prepares to treat a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois near Paris during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in France, October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

PARIS (Reuters) - The number of COVID-19 patients in French intensive care units could reach in two weeks the same level as during the peak of the first wave in April without new measures, the government spokesman said on Tuesday.

Gabriel Attal said these estimates were based on models by the Pasteur Institute. "We are seeing an exponential increase in the number of infections," he told reporters after cabinet members met with party leaders and lawmakers.