France reports lowest daily virus toll in five weeks as lockdown easing beckons

A nurse adjusts her mask as she works at the post Covid-19 unit of a private hospital in Nantes, western France, April 30, 2020. © Reuters/Stéphane Mahé

141 fewer people were being treated Friday in intensive care units (ICU), director of health Jérôme Salomon said.

The number of ICU patients peaked at 7,200 on April 9.

The last time the country recorded such a low daily number of fatalities was March 23, when there were 186 registered deaths.

#Coronavirus #COVID19 | Synthèse des 2 indicateurs de l’activité épidémique, au vendredi 1 mai 2020 :
◾Tension hospitalière sur les capacités en réanimation
◾Circulation active du virus

📲 En savoir plus : https://t.co/qjjXo6nO27 pic.twitter.com/8hwfPbhbNb

— Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé (@MinSoliSante) May 1, 2020

France has the fourth highest death toll in Europe, with 24,594.

• Tricolour map of France hints at who will escape virus lockdown first

The government has announced the country's strict lockdown will be eased from May 11, but the pace will be slower in harder hit areas such as the greater Paris area and the northeast quarter of the country.