Coronavirus admissions at intensive care units (ICU) in the Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur region of southern France have tripled since the beginning of September, according to official statistics.
In the region -- which includes the cities of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence -- only 55 ICU beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients on September 1, going up to 170 patients by September 27, according to the French health authority website.
The number of Covid-19 ICU patients in Paris went up from 169 to 339 in the same period. In France overall, the figure went up to 1,112 by September 27 compared to 418 at the start of the month, the health authority says.
Marseille spike: Bars and restaurants closed for seven days in the Marseille area, starting Sunday night, due to the deteriorating situation there.
The situation in the south of France will be reviewed after seven days, and could be extended by a further week if there is no improvement, the French Health Minister tweeted.
"We have learned about the virus and we have organized ourselves so we can mobilize up to 12,000 resuscitation beds," Olivier Veran wrote on Twitter.
But this mobilization means we have to discontinue other treatments. We have to keep this in mind and avoid it as much as possible for the health of the French."
Overall, France has recorded 538,569 coronavirus patients since the start of the outbreak, with an additional 11,123 logged in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday 8 a.m. ET.
At least 31,727 people have died, with 27 registered in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday, said the health authority.