COVID-19: France reports 100-plus daily deaths in slight uptick

PARIS

Tuesday brought more improvement in France's battle against the coronavirus, as cases of infection dropped significantly and fatalities remained low.

According to the latest statistics reported by the Health Ministry, a total of 85 deaths in hospitals were registered on Tuesday, a rise by 54 cases over those reported on Monday, while 23 fatalities were reported in nursing homes. The total number of fatalities in hospitals to date is 18,590 and the total in nursing homes stands at 10,350.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in France stands at 28,940 with cases of infection rising slightly to 151,325, an increase of 766 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalizations decreased on Tuesday with cases coming in at 14,028, a drop by 260 patients on the day before. Those in intensive care fell to 1,253, down by 49 patients over Monday.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 68,812 people have recovered in France from the disease and have returned home.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world. The US, Brazil, Russia and some European countries are currently the worst-hit.

The pandemic has killed more than 377,000 people worldwide, with total infections reaching over 6.32 million, while more than 2.72 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.