COVID-19: France reports less than 400 deaths

PARIS

France on Friday reported 389 additional fatalities related to the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll in the country to 22,245.

In a daily press briefing, Director General of Health Jerome Salomon reported the second week of improvement in France's fight against the pandemic, with a significant decline in daily cases and deaths.

Of the Friday total, 305 fatalities occurred in hospitals while 84 were in nursing homes, with the cumulative death tolls in either at 13,852 and 8,393, respectively.

The number of new patients brought under hospital care was also significantly lower registering at 28,658 -- a drop of 561 compared to Thursday. The number of patients in intensive care fell to 4,870, down by 183 patients.

In total, 122,577 people have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak, while 43,493 have returned home after recovering.

France's lockdown will continue until May 11, when schools will gradually open followed by cafes and restaurants.

Voicing caution, Salomon emphasized that the fight against the virus is not yet over: "The circulation of the virus remains at a high level, so we must be fully mobilized and respect the barrier gestures."

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 194,000 people, with total infections exceeding 2.76 million, while over 762,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover in due time.