PARIS

France on Tuesday reported a slight rise in daily coronavirus fatalities, proving that lockdown and social distancing measures in place for weeks are taking affect.

The latest statistics were reported by Health Minister Jerome Salomon.

A total of 140 fatalities were registered on Tuesday, an increase by nine deaths over those reported on Monday. The total number of fatalities in hospital is 17,714 and the total in nursing homes is 10,308.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in France stands at 28,022 with cases of infection climbing to 143,427, a marked rise by 524 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalizations dropped again on Tuesday with cases standing now at 18,468, another sizable drop of 547 patients. Those in intensive care fell to 1,894, down by 104 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, 62,563 people have recovered in France from COVID-19 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. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 321,000 people worldwide, with total infections rising to some 4.86 million. Just over 1.8 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.