By Yusuf Ozcan
PARIS (AA) – France registered 15,792 new novel coronavirus cases, taking the country’s tally to over 4.29 million, health authorities said Monday.
Another 344 people lost the battle against the virus, bringing the country’s death toll to 92,648.
A total of 26,488 people are being treated at hospitals, 4,548 of whom are in intensive care, while the number of recoveries has risen to 282,885.
The rate of positive tests has reached 8%.
The number of people who have been vaccinated since Dec. 27 last year exceeds 6.35 million, including over 2.48 million who received their second jabs, according to Health Ministry data.
On March 16 this year, the one-year anniversary of France’s first nationwide lockdown, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said “the pandemic is playing overtime. We are in what looks like a form of third wave[…]characterized by the variants.”
Two days later, Castex took his first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine as its administration was resumed nationwide following an eight-day suspension due to safety concerns.
Since originating in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 2.7 million lives in 192 countries and regions.
Over 123.6 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries surpassing 70 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
The US, Brazil and India remain the worst-hit countries in terms of cases.
*Writing by Merve Berker
