France records nearly 5,500 new Covid-19 cases, highest figure since mid-April

A health worker, wearing a protective suit and a face mask, prepares to administer a nasal swab to a patient at a testing site for the Covid-19 installed at the Bassin de la Villette in Paris, France, August 25, 2020. © Gonzalo Fuentes, REUTERS

The French Health Ministry said it had registered 5,429 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, a new post-lockdown high and a level of new infections not seen since the height of the epidemic in early April.

The total number of people infected with the virus in France now stands at 253,587.

Figures for the cumulative death toll and for Covid-19 hospitalisations for Wednesday were not available yet due to a technical glitch, the Health Ministry said.

On Tuesday, the ministry reported the cumulative number of deaths had risen by 16 in 24 hours, to 30,544, adding that 4,600 people were in hospital with Covid-19, including 410 in intensive care.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)