Coronavirus cases in ICU drop below 1,000 in France

Novel coronavirus patients in France under intensive care fell below the 1,000 mark for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak. The latest statistics were reported by France’s Ministry of Health.

Intensive care cases on Tuesday fell to 955, down by 69 patients since Monday.

A total of 53 daily deaths were registered as well, dropping by two since the previous day. The total number of fatalities to date in hospitals was 18,912 and 10,350 in nursing homes.

The overall death toll stands at 29,296 with cases of infection rising slightly by 403 to 154,591.

The number of hospitalizations also declined, coming in at 11,961, a drop by 354 patients on the day before.

Despite the severity of the virus, most people experience mild symptoms and recover. Since the beginning of record-keeping for the disease, 71,506 people have recovered in France from the epidemic 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.

The United States and Brazil are currently the worst-hit regions, with infections growing rapidly on the African continent.

The pandemic has killed more than 408,000 people worldwide, with total infections reaching almost 7.2 million, while over 3.3 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.