France has officially registered more than 20,000 deaths from coronavirus infections, becoming the fourth country to go beyond that threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States, and the pace of increase of fatalities sped up again after several days of slowing.

But the number of people in intensive care fell for the 12th consecutive day, suggesting the national lockdown put in place more than a month ago is having positive effects in containing the disease.

France's public health chief Jerome Salomon told a news briefing the coronavirus-linked fatalities were up 2.8 per cent, at 20,265, versus an increase of 2.0pc on Sunday.

Nurse student Catharina Lopes, 21-year-old, works in an intensive care unit for coronavirus patients at the Clinique de l'Estree private hospital in Stains near Paris, France, April 20. — Reuters
Nurse student Catharina Lopes, 21-year-old, works in an intensive care unit for coronavirus patients at the Clinique de l'Estree private hospital in Stains near Paris, France, April 20. — Reuters

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