Paris (AFP)
France recorded 15,797 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, confirming the strong upward trend after the record of the day before (16,096 cases), according to data released Friday evening by Public Health France.
While new restriction measures were announced this week in an attempt to stem the epidemic, 56 people have died in the past 24 hours, four more than the day before.
The proportion of patients among those tested (the positivity rate) also continues to increase.
It is 6.9% against 6.5% Thursday and 6.2% Wednesday.
Over the last seven days, 4,069 new hospitalizations were recorded, including 747 serious cases in intensive care, or 29 more than the day before.
Since the start of the epidemic, at least 31,661 people have died from causes related to the coronavirus, including 20,995 in hospitals.
1,125 centers of circulation of the epidemic or "clusters" are under investigation, ie more than 94 in twenty-four hours.
101 French departments, or almost all, are in a vulnerable situation.
The Covid-19 epidemic in France is in "an ascending phase", Public Health France warned on Friday.
Among the "worrying" points, the health agency notes the "increasingly strong circulation" of the virus among the elderly.
© 2020 AFP