COVID-19: France starts week with drop in fatalities

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - France started the week with a drop in fatalities from coronavirus, the country's Health Ministry said Monday.

A total of 131 new deaths were reported over the past day, a dramatic fall of 352 from Sunday. The nationwide death toll stands at 28,239.

Meanwhile, the number of infections have risen to 142,903, with 492 more cases.

The number of hospitalizations dropped again by 346 patients on Monday, with the tally at 19,015.

Those in intensive care fell to 1,998, down by 89 patients from Sunday.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the start of the outbreak, 61,728 people have recovered in France and have returned home.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed over 316,800 people, with total infections reaching 4.76 million, while just over 1.6 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University in the US.