In France, on Monday, January 3, 67,461 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in a 24-hour period. Intensive care beds are starting to run short in some hospitals, and doctors are no longer hesitating to voice their anger at unvaccinated patients, who are occupying up to 90% of intensive care beds.
Overwhelmed by the Delta wave, hospitals in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) are at capacity. At La Timone, 86 % of the patients in the ICU are unvaccinated. Doctors are appealing for help; with ICU units overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients and surgeries being postponed, they fear they may not be able to provide adequate care for some patients. «We're facing major challenges in providing care for everyone.», laments Jean-Luc Jouve, president of the Medical Commission of the Marseille Public Health and Hospitals System (AP-HM).
No penalties for the unvaccinated
To raise awareness, André Grimaldi, professor emeritus at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, invites them to sign a waiver stating that they do not wish to be resuscitated should the need arise. Politicians are getting involved: Sébastien Huygues, a lawmaker (LR) from the Nord department, has proposed making the unvaccinated pay for their medical care. On Monday, January 3, the Minister of Health completely ruled out the possibility of penalizing the unvaccinated in any way when they receive medical care.
