The total number of deaths in France from Covid-19 has topped 40,000 for the first time while the number of new cases hit a fresh record, health ministry data showed.

New deaths from the disease reached 40,169, of which 27,660 have been in hospitals, including 306 in the last 24 hours, the ministry said in its daily report on the outbreak.

The ministry reported a total of 1,748,705 confirmed cases in France, up a record 86,852 from the 1,661,853 it registered on Friday.