France reports rise in COVID-19 infections, deaths drop

PARIS

Wednesday brought a surprising rise in novel coronavirus cases in France with 4,183 additional patients nationwide, according to figures reported by the country's Ministry of Health.

There were 278 fatalities compared with 340 on Tuesday -- a drop of 62. Deaths in hospitals stood at 181 and raised the total to 16,237, while the tally of people who died in nursing homes rose to 9,572 after increasing by 97.

Hospitalizations also rose on Wednesday, with the number standing at 24,983, an increase of 209 patients over Tuesday. The number of those in intensive care fell to 3,147, down by 283 patients.

The death toll since the start of the outbreak stands at 25,809, with the total cases at 137,150.

Some 53,972 former patients have recovered from the pandemic in the country. Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to 187 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed almost 260,000 people, with total infections at just over 3.7 million, while more than 1.22 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.