PARIS: French health authorities said on Monday the number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours jumped by 467 to 21,073, the highest daily rise since Feb 1.

On a week-on-week basis, the hospitalisations figure is up 1.8% and it has been now increasing for the fifth day running, after a steady decline since early February.

Number of French COVID-19 ICU patients falls, despite record infections

COVID-19 infections have been rising again since early March, with the seven-day moving average of new cases at a six-week high of 127,488. Generally, such a trend inversion translates into hospital figures with a two-week delay.

Most of the country's COVID-19 restrictions were lifted three weeks ago.