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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
Agencies

French Covid-19 deaths top 19,000 as hospitalised numbers continue to fall

Medical staff at an intensive care unit at the Franco-Britannique hospital in Levallois-Perret near Paris, 15 April 2020. REUTERS - BENOIT TESSIER

The number of Covid-19 positive patients in hospital fell to 30,639, as the rate of fatalities also slowed for the third day running.

The health ministry said the total number of people in intensive care units fell for the 10th day in a row, to 5,833 - the lowest level since March 31.

The total death tally - which included 11,842 fatalities in hospitals and another 7,481 in nursing homes - rose by 3.4 percent, the third day running that the pace of increase has slowed.

France has been in lockdown since March 17 as part of efforts to curb the outbreak.

"There is decreasing pressure on the needs in terms of equipment and human ressources in resuscitation units, but we're still at an exceptionally high level (of pressure)," the health ministry said.

There were 111,821 confirmed cases of coronavirus in France

overall, and an additional 39,972 probable cases in nursing homes.

(Reuters)

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