The French health ministry on Friday reported 12,148 new confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, lower than Thursday's 13,970 and well below highs of over 16,000 seen last week, according to Reuters.

The total number of infections since the start of the epidemic rose to 589,653. France also reported 136 new deaths from coronavirus — the highest daily toll since mid-May — for a cumulative total of 32,155. Last Friday it had already reported a death toll of 150 in one day.

Hospital admissions for Covid-19 rose by 106 to 6,758 and intensive care admissions by 11 to 1,276, continuing an uptrend from recent weeks.

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