France's coronavirus death toll increases by 369 to 22,614
France reported 369 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a drop on previous days, with the number of people in intensive care falling for the 17th day in a row. While 22,614 people have died from the virus in France since the beginning of March, health officials said the mortality rate in hospitals was the lowest in a month, with 198 deaths in 24 hours.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 09:19 | 25 April 2020
- Modified Date: 09:19 | 25 April 2020
The death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen by 369 to stand at 22,614, the health ministry said on Saturday, as the government scrutinizes data to see how it might ease a lockdown in place since mid-March.
The ministry said 124 patients were admitted to intensive care units over the last 24 hours although the daily death toll from COVID-19 has fallen steadily over the past two weeks.
President Emmanuel Macron is aiming to ease some lockdown measures on May 11 with schools reopening first, although the government has yet to finalise how it might work in practice.
France has also offered retailers some relief by saying it wants them to reopen when the lockdown is due to end on May 11, although some curbs could remain in certain areas to delay a new wave of the coronavirus.