PARIS - France reported more than 300
additional coronavirus-linked deaths for the second day running
on Tuesday but the people in hospital with the infection and
those in intensive care units for the COVID-19 respiratory
disease fell at their steepest rate on record.
After increasing by only 135 on Sunday - the lowest tally in
more than a month - the number of people who have died from a
coronavirus infection in France climbed by 306 on Monday and by
330 on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 25,531, the
fifth-highest in the world.
France, who plans to start unwinding an almost eight-week
national lockdown on May 11, could soon overtake Spain - who
reported earlier its third day in a row of coronavirus deaths
under 200 for a total of 25,613 - in the fatalities ranking.
The United Kingdom, with 32,313 deaths, has overtaken Italy
to report the highest official death toll from the new
coronavirus in Europe, figures showed on Tuesday, increasing
pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his response to
the crisis.
In a statement, the French Health Ministry also said the
number of people in intensive care units fell to 3,430 from
3,696 on Monday, an unprecedented decline of 7.2% and lower for
the 27th consecutive day.
The number of people in hospital with coronavirus fell 3%,
also at its sharpest rate ever seen since the outbreak, to
24,775, continuing a now uninterrupted three-week fall.
Total confirmed cases rose by 1,104 to 132,967, well below
the 3,000 President Emmanuel Macron's government has set as the
upper limit before it would reverse a decision to partially lift
the lockdown next Monday.
In addition to the confirmed cases, suspected cases in
nursing homes decreased slightly to 37,584, for a total of
170,511, up 1,089 in 24 hours after an increase of 769 on Monday
and of 297 on Sunday.