FILE PHOTO: A medical worker, wearing a protective suit and face mask, administers a nasal swab to a patient in a testing site for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Nice, France, September 7, 2020. The sign reads "symptomatic people". REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
France has had 10,561 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, health authorities said on Saturday, a new daily record as the number topped 10,000 for the first time.
The latest daily count, surpassing the previous record of 9,843 new infections reported on Thursday, highlights a resurgence of the disease in France.
The rise led the government to outline additional measures on Friday to avert a return to the general lockdown put in place earlier in the year. Prime Minister Jean Castex promised steps to speed up tests and toughen local measures in high-infection zones.
In its daily update, the French health ministry also reported that 772 clusters were being investigated, an increase of 86 in the past 24 hours.
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Over the past week, there had been 2,432 arrivals in hospital for Covid-19, including 417 entries into intensive care units, the ministry said.
The death toll since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak this year in French hospitals and nursing homes has reached 30,910, with 17 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, it added.
