France has reported more new daily Covid cases than the UK, reaching the 30,000 limit for the first time in four months.
The country recorded 30,920 new daily infections compared to 29,612 in the UK.
It is the highest figure in France since April 28 when the country was about to exit its third lockdown.
And a total 1,745 people are in intensive care units for the virus, up by 33, as the more contagious Delta variant spreads.
Despite higher daily infections, France recorded 69 deaths on Wednesday compared to 104 in the UK.
Emmanuel Macron said we will have to live many months with coronavirus and the crisis is not behind us.
The French president has championed the country’s new Covid health pass which was put in place in an attempt to reduce Covid infections and encourage vaccination.
From July 21, people in France now need to show a Covid health pass to enjoy routine activities such as train travel or going to a cafe.
It grants the holder access to any leisure or cultural venue across France with a capacity of more than 50 people, including museums and galleries.
The new rules complicate plans for UK holidaymakers desperate to jet across the Channel this summer.
Britons have been warned they face fines and prison sentences if they are caught trying to use inadequate documentation as a Covid passport.
France was removed from the UK’s amber plus list in the latest international travel review.
Fully vaccinated travellers no longer have to quarantine upon their return to the UK.
The changes came into place at 4am on August 8.
A total 104 Covid deaths were recorded in the UK on Wednesday, down from 146 on Tuesday.
It marked the highest number of deaths since March 6 when 153 fatalities were recorded in the official data.
In France, the seven-day moving average of daily new cases is also on the rise, now at 23,288.
That figure is almost 13 times higher than a June low of 1,816.
