France sees rise in COVID-19 deaths, infections

PARIS

France on Monday saw a rise in fresh cases and deaths from the coronavirus, according to the Health Ministry.

The latest Health Ministry data revealed at least 437 new fatalities – 295 in hospitals and 142 in nursing homes – over the past 24 hours, a rise of 195 compared to a day earlier.

The total fatalities in hospital to date rose to 14,497 and the total fatalities in nursing homes climbed up to 8,796.

Hospitalizations dropped on Monday, with the number standing at 27,954, a significant drop of 263 patients over the day before. The number of those in intensive care fell to 4,526, down by 156 patients.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in the country mounts to 23,293, with the number of cases reaching 128,339.

Since record-keeping started at the beginning of March, 45,513 people have returned home after recovering fully from the disease.

France's lockdown will continue until May 11, whereupon schools will gradually open followed by cafes, restaurants, and bars.

The pandemic has killed more than 209,600 people worldwide, with the number of cases totaling over 3 million and more than 885,300 recoveries, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover in due time.