COVID-19: France reports sharp uptick in infections

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - As parks and public spaces opened across France on Saturday, different figures related to the novel coronavirus rose and fell. The latest statistics were reported by France's Ministry of Health.

A total of 57 fatalities were registered in hospitals on Saturday, a drop by six cases compared to Friday's figures. The total number of fatalities in hospitals overall has reached 18,444 and the total in nursing homes 10,327. France's Ministry of Health is holding off on reporting official numbers for nursing home facilities until further notice.

The death toll in France since the start of the outbreak stands at 28,771 with cases rising to 151,496, a sharp increase of 1,828 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalizations dropped, with cases now standing at 14,380, down by 315 patients from the day before. Those in intensive care fell to 1,325, down by 36 patients from Friday.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 68,268 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 almost 367,000 people, with total infections reaching nearly 6 million, while just over 2.5 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.