PARIS

France on Wednesday reported 85 new fatalities from the novel coronavirus, exactly the same figure as those reported on Tuesday.

According to the Health Ministry, the total number of fatalities to date on hospital is 18,671 and the total in nursing homes stands at 14,178.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in France reached 29,021, with cases rising slightly, to 151,677, an increase of 352 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalizations decreased on Wednesday with cases coming in at 13,514, a drop by 514 patients on the day before. Those in intensive care fell to 1,210, down by 43 patients over Tuesday.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 69,455 people have recovered in France from the epidemic 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 more than 382,400 people worldwide, with total infections reaching over 6.44 million, while over 2.76 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.