France becomes fourth country to report over 4,000 coronavirus deaths

France's death toll from coronavirus rose to 4,032 on Wednesday, the fourth country to exceed the 4000-mark after Italy, Spain and the US. The government has imposed a lockdown since March 17 and ordered people to stay indoors except for essential travel.

There are now 24,639 people hospitalized in France with Covid-19, with 6,017 of them in intensive care, the country’s Health Agency Director Jérôme Salomon told reporters in his daily update.

On Tuesday, France’s death toll had risen by 499.

The French death toll includes only those who died in hospital and not those who died at home or in old people’s homes.

Salomon said that the number of cases had risen to 56,989, a rise of nine percent, versus an increase of 17 percent on Tuesday.

He also said 6,017 people were in a serious condition needing life support, up eight percent compared with Tuesday.

France has increased the number of beds in intensive care units from 5,000 to about 10,000 since the start of the crisis and it is aiming to reach 14,500 as soon as possible.

Passing 4,000 threshold.

Today’s figures make France the fourth country to pass the 4,000-fatalities threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States.

With 13,155 deaths to date, Italy accounts for almost 30 percent of the global death tally. Spain has 9,053 deaths and, just like France, the United States has just passed the 4,000-mark.

The four countries now account for about two-thirds of the total deaths – now at more than 45,000 – from the coronavirus around the world.