PARIS, France (AFP) — The coronavirus outbreak has claimed another 753 lives in the last 24 hours in France, bringing the country’s total fatalities to 17,920, top French health official Jerome Salomon said Thursday.
But the number of virus patients hospitalized dropped by 474 and the number in critical care fell by 209, the health ministry’s number two official said.
“The spread of the virus is stabilizing at a high level,” he added.
Among the dead were 11,060 who died in hospital and 6,860 in care homes or other establishments, he said.
The number of people remaining in critical care was 6,248 which, though down slightly, outstrips the 5,000 specialist reanimation beds in French hospitals, meaning there are “still tensions” on hospital services, said Salomon.
The current situation corresponds with a “plateau” in the number of cases, he said, while stressing that people need to continue to respect the lockdown rules.
On Monday France extended its nationwide lockdown until May 11.
© Agence France-Presse
