The number of coronavirus patients hospitalised in France has dropped this weekend for this first time since September, after two weeks of new nationwide lockdown measures aimed at slowing surging infections and easing hospital strains, AP reported.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care also fell for the first time in six weeks, according to figures released on Saturday night, though virus patients still occupy 96 per cent of Frances standard ICU beds.

The number of weekly infections per 100,000 people in France has now been falling for 14 straight days, and some doctors say they're starting to see signs of relief in over-stretched ICUs.

But it remains too early to say whether the one-day drop in hospital numbers means France has hit the peak in this second surge of the pandemic.