The daily number of new cases of Covid-19 in France today remained above 20.000 on average for the fourth consecutive day, while hospitalizations continue to increase, reaching an 8-week high of 27.041, intensifying fears of a third nationwide lockdown.
President Emanuel Macron continues to hope that the overnight curfew from 6pm local time, imposed 11 days ago, will be enough to bring the rise in new infections under control.
Despite calls from some doctors and health workers for a new lockdown, Industry Minister Anies Panier-Runasser said earlier that there was no need to decide on such a measure at this stage.
The French president will chair the weekly cabinet tomorrow and a government press conference on Covid-19 is scheduled for Thursday.
The French health authorities announced 22.086 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours today, a number much higher than yesterday 4.240.
The government wants to reduce this number to less than 5000 in order to consider that the pandemic is under full control.
The number of ICU patients for Covid-19 also increased to 3.081, remaining above the 3000 mark for the second consecutive day.
The total number of infections currently stands at 3.079.943, the sixth highest in the world.
The death toll rose 612 to 74.106, the seventh highest in the world, after rising 445 yesterday.