French coronavirus death toll, at nearly 27,000, overtakes Spain's

• On the second day after the end of a 55-day lockdown, the number of people in intensive care also continued a similar downtrend and fell by 170 or 6.3pc to 2,542.
• The health ministry said in a statement the number of people in hospital with coronavirus infection fell again to 21,595 from 22,284 on Monday.

PARIS: France's cumulative death toll from coronavirus infection rose by 348 or 1.3pc to 26,991 on Tuesday, overtaking Spain's 26,920, making France the country with the world's fourth-highest death toll from the virus after the US, Britain and Italy.

The health ministry said in a statement the number of people in hospital with coronavirus infection fell again to 21,595 from 22,284 on Monday, continuing an uninterrupted downward trend that has lasted four weeks.

On the second day after the end of a 55-day lockdown, the number of people in intensive care also continued a similar downtrend and fell by 170 or 6.3pc to 2,542.