Yahoo TV

The hard-left CGT trade union said the coronavirus crisis had underlined the need to increase the number of nurses and intensive care beds in public hospitals, as well as improve salary terms.

At the Robert Ballanger hospital in Aulnay-sous-Bois outside Paris, where all 16 available critical care beds are full - nearly all with COVID-19 patients - nurses worked through their strike to ensure life-saving care was maintained.

"We are exhausted as, being a specialised service, we are the only caregivers able to manage the crisis. Unfortunately, we get no recognition for this. What we want today is to be recognized for this specialization, for this particular treatment," said nurse Celia Leger.

As France slowly unwinds a third national lockdown, pressure on hospitals remains acute. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care this week fell back below 5,000, the threshold for full saturation.