France has slightly revised down the toll of the coronavirus epidemic. According to statistics published on the site of Public Health France, the country deplores, Tuesday, May 19, 28,022 dead, or 217 fewer deaths compared to the balance sheet of the day before, established at 28,239. The government had to modify the data coming Accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people (Ehpad).

In its data on May 19 on the government site, the DGS indicates 10 308 deaths in Ehpad, against 10 650 Monday.

When questioned, the DGS clarified that this new figure "results from adjustments in the reporting of data from the Regional Health Agencies".

There have already been several problems with the feedback of balance sheets in Ehpad since they were taken into account from the beginning of April.

The number of deaths in hospitals in the past 24 hours amounts to 125 people.

The total assessment of the pandemic is now divided into 17,714 deaths (+125) in hospitals and 10,308 (-342) in social and medico-social establishments, mainly nursing homes.

The number of confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus since the start of the epidemic increased by 524, with a total of 143,427 people infected.

Hospitalizations still falling

The number of people hospitalized because of their contamination continues to decline, especially in intensive care units, which treated 1,894 serious cases on Tuesday evening, 104 fewer than Monday. This statistic has been continuously decreasing since peaking at 7,148 patients in intensive care on April 8.

In total, 18,468 people are hospitalized due to Covid-19, against 19,015 on Monday, and nearly 100,000 have been since the start of the epidemic, said the director general of health, Jérôme Salomon.

The director general of health spoke during a press conference for the first time since the start of deconfinement on May 11. Contrary to usual, he did not communicate the total number of deaths, but gave concrete advice on the screening for people fearing to be sick and on the precautionary measures to adopt to avoid a resumption of the epidemic.

Before the long Ascension weekend, Jérôme Salomon notably encouraged the French to wear the mask even at home when receiving friends, in addition to barrier gestures - such as physical distancing and hand washing.

With AFP and Reuters

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