France reports only nine Covid-19 fatalities

Record low hit as coronavirus epidemic wanes and Phase 3 of deconfinement launched

PARIS: France reported a new low in coronavirus deaths Sunday, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health.

A total of nine deaths in hospitals were registered, down by 15 over those reported Saturday. The total number of fatalities to date in hospitals is 19,023 and the total in nursing homes stands at 10,350.

Since the start of the outbreak, the death toll in France stands at 29,407 with the number of infections rising to 157,220, a significant increase of 407 cases over the previous day.

The number of hospitalisations decreased on Sunday, with cases coming in at 10,836, a drop of only 28 patients from the day before. Those in intensive care fell to 841, down by 10 patients over Saturday.

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation Sunday evening as well, laying out plans for the third phase of deconfinement wherein cafes, bars and restaurants will open in their entirety on Monday, June 15, with schools to re-open June 22.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 72,849 people have recovered in France from the epidemic and have returned home.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world. Brazil and the United States are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 432,000 people worldwide, with total infections reaching just over 7.8 million, while over 3.7 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.