France hits staggering new case record, Europe’s highest

PARIS (AP) — France has announced a staggering number of daily virus cases, at more than 332,000 far surpassing a string of recent records. Hospitals are preparing drastic measures to brace for patient surges and the government is straining to avoid a new lockdown. The number announced Wednesday was Europe’s highest-ever single-day confirmed infection count. France has one of the continent’s most-vaccinated populations, so the government is hoping the surge won’t hit hospitals too hard and is pushing a minority of vaccine holdouts to get inoculated fast. But the surge is increasingly disrupting workplaces, schools and public life.