France on Tuesday reported 531 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours as the number of people in hospital and intensive care continued to decline, AFP reports.

The daily tally — 387 deaths in hospitals and 144 in nursing homes — brought France's total epidemic death toll to 20,796, top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters.

There were 30,106 infected people in hospital, he said — a daily decline of 478 in an encouraging downward trend.

The total tally included 12,900 people who died in hospital and 7,896 in old age and other care homes.