Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

UPDATE: Where are France’s 42 coronavirus ‘red zones’?

The number of Covid-19 'red zones' in France - meaning the virus is actively circulating has risen to 42. Here's where they are.

Published: 11 September 2020 22:41 CEST
Updated: 21 September 2020 11:23 CEST
UPDATE: Where are France's 42 coronavirus 'red zones'?
Photo: AFP

France has seen a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases over recent weeks across the territory, and the government this week bumped another 14 départements up to “red” alert. 

Previously there were 28 (see map below) zed zones in France, but French PM Jean Castex announced the number had risen to 42 during a televised speech on Friday September 11th.

The government categorises a département as red when the spread of Covid-19 in the area reaches a level they consider alarming enough give local authorities extra powers to contain the spread.

A  red zone generally has recorded more than 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days, but the government also looks as other factors such as pressure on hospitals in the area.

In summary, if a département is classed as red it's not positive news.

France's Health Ministry published the latest list and a map of the 42 départements.

The latest list of “red” départements in mainland France is as follows: Paris,
Seine et Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Val-d’Oise, Loiret, Côte d’Or, Seine-Maritime, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Bas-Rhin, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique ;Îlle et Vilaine, Gironde, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hérault, Haute-Garonne, Gard, Tarn-et-Garonne, Pyréné, Orientales, Aude, Rhône, Ain,  Puy-de-Dôme, Loire, Isère, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône, Var, Vaucluse, Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse.

 

 

 

The overseas départements of Guadeloupe, La Reunion and Martinique are also red zones.

Guyane and Mayotte are classed purple because they are still under a state of health emergency.

The government bases its decision to label a zone red on data collected by the public health agency Santé Publique France, which follows the development of Covid-19 in France in detail, both on a nationwide and a local level.

The ruling strategy since the end of lockdown has been to avoid nationwide blanket measures to the extent possible and rather trust local authorities with the power to take the best decisions adapted to their zones. 

Some local authorities in hotspot areas have issued rules such as closing bars earlier than usual. In Marseille, which has been a red zone for several weeks, all bars bars and restaurants close at 11pm in a attempt to curb the spread. 

To know exactly what it means to be living in a red zone CLICK HERE.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

HEALTH

The different ways you can make a doctor’s appointment in France

Booking a medical appointment in France can be time-consuming – especially if you are new to the country and are looking for an English-speaking doctor.

Published: 13 May 2024 16:52 CEST
The different ways you can make a doctor's appointment in France

You do not need a carte vitale to book a doctor’s appointment in France – anyone who needs medical help while in the country is entitled to it, but you may not be entitled to any reimbursement if you are not part of the social security system.

Booking a GP’s appointment can be as simple as phoning up your friendly neighbourhood GP, or using an online service such as Doctolib. 

It helps a lot, if you have a médecin traitant – an attending GP, who adds you (and your family, if they can) to their list of patients. 

READ ALSO Explained: How to register with a doctor in France

It is not always easy to find one. Some parts of the country are short of GPs, which means doctors’ lists can fill up very quickly. But it is important that anyone who lives in France is registered with a named GP, especially if they have a carte vitale.

As well as being the main point of contact between patients and the medical profession in all its guises, it is financially responsible to be registered with a GP in France.

Reimbursement on consultations is typically 70 percent through the French healthcare system, but just 30 percent for anyone without a declared doctor. Meanwhile, top-up mutuelle health insurance companies usually require you to declare a médecin traitant and if you don’t, you may not be able to receive reimbursements on certain treatments.

Bear in mind, it is your responsibility to register with a local médecin traitant. But, even after you have done so, you can still make an appointment with any doctor, anywhere in France, and arrange specialist treatment, if you need it. 

READ ALSO 5 things to know about visiting a doctor in France

How do you go about making a GP appointment in France?

There are several options.

Some health centres – more often in larger towns and cities – operate a walk-in policy. But expect waits to be lengthy. Do not, however, assume that your GP operates a system like this.

You can phone for an appointment. This is another very common method. Your GP will have their own system for making appointments – which may even include something that looks, to the uninitiated, very much like a casual walk-in policy. 

Some may have an assistant to deal with booking appointments and other administration. Others may deal with appointments themselves, and may – for example – operate some sort of triage system based on voice messages from patients. 

What about online booking systems?

And many practitioners are now attached to websites, such as Doctolib. As of 2023, about half of all GP appointments in France were made using Doctolib.

READ ALSO How to use: French medical website Doctolib

Be aware that other online booking systems are available. Doctolib is one of the best known, but your GP may be attached to another system, like the health ministry approved site ‘LeMedecin.Fr’.

This website also has a feature where you can take an immediate online consultation with whatever doctor is available at that moment. By clicking ‘Consultez en vidéo maintenant’ you will be connected to the next doctor who is free. This option may involve an additional charge between €5-10 on top of the price of the consultation, and you will be expected to pay when booking.

If you have any trouble with either of these websites, you can go through the list of registered generalists per département on the ‘Ameli’ website. If you use this option, you will need to call the doctor to see if they are open or available for appointments.

In terms of wait times, online systems have helped to significantly reduce the delay between booking and getting an appointment.

According to a 2023 study by Doctolib, about half of all GP appointments were available within three days from the time of booking on their platform.

Similarly, you can use online platforms to check the medical professional’s qualifications and languages spoken, as well as filter based on the doctor’s English abilities. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt because not every medical professional with English listed on their Doctolib page speaks fluent English. 

An increasing number of doctorsoffer video consultations, known as télémédecine in France. This allows professionals – particularly those in more rural areas – to diagnose less serious conditions remotely. This type of consultation is usually only available from those medical practices that are attached to online booking systems. 

Some pharmacies have also begun offering walk-in télémedicine consults, using ‘Medadom’ machines. More information here.

What about specialists?

In France, you book your own consultations with specialists, even if you are referred by a doctor (your GP may offer a recommendation, but won’t always). The good news is that many specialists do use online booking services. Those that do not usually have assistants to take care of the appointments.

READ ALSO: Urgent care: How to get non-emergency medical treatment in France

SHOW COMMENTS