France: Numbers drop in battle against coronavirus

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - Coronavirus numbers in France Wednesday evening moved in a positive direction as both the number of those in hospital and those in intensive care dropped, said Jerome Salomon, director general of health.

As of Wednesday, France's fatalities in hospital stand at 524, and in nursing homes 924, for a total of 10,643 deaths and 6,524, respectively. A total of 106,206 remain infected in the Republic, Salomon told a daily press briefing.

The numbers surrounding treatment on Tuesday brought a very positive sign: 31,779 people remain in hospital, a drop of 513 from the day before, and the number in intensive care was 6,457, a drop of 273 from Tuesday.

Overall, 17,167 lives have been lost since record-keeping in France began on March 1, while 30,955 people have returned home after recovering from the virus.

"We must salute this while remaining very careful," Salomon said.

He added that after a month of confinement, the French have come to a very good plateau, but should nonetheless continue to stay at home, continue social distancing measures, as well as the practice of barrier gestures, like washing hands and resisting touching one's eyes, nose, and mouth.

The original end date of France's lockdown -- April 15 -- was extended by President Emmanuel Macron in a televised address to the nation on Monday evening to May 11. Plans are in place for schools, daycare centers, and businesses to open, followed by cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Worldwide, there are just over 2 million cases of coronavirus with over 130,000 reported deaths. Half a million people have now recovered from the coronavirus as well since the start of record-keeping for the outbreak, according to data compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.