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France confirmed about 13,500 new COVID-19 cases over a 24-hour period on Saturday, setting another daily record for the number of infections in the country since the coronavirus pandemic began.
According to Santé France, the French health authority, 13,498 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in 24 hours, 283 more than the day before when a previous record with 13,215 cases was set.
The new cases bring the total number of registered cases of the virus in France to 442,194.
The number of people who died from the virus also increased by 26 during the same 24 period, bringing the total of COVID-19 deaths in France to 31,274 since March.
France has continued to see a daily increase in cases with the rate of positive tests rising to 5.6 percent, the highest in recent days.
Authorities have attributed the increase in reported cases to larger-scale testing after the French government released them and accelerated the circulation of the virus.
Test center staff went on strike on Thursday over a dispute over working conditions, as the testing system failed due to increased demand.
In an attempt to speed up testing, the government approved the use of saliva tests on Wednesday.
Considered less evasive than nasal swabs, the tests are not considered as effective, as they fail to detect coronavirus in three-quarters of patients who were asymptomatic.
While France’s Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), an independent public health body, approved the use of saliva tests, it said they should not replace nasal tests.
In a statement on Friday, HAS added: “The use of saliva tests could also increase the testing capacity in screening situations where nasopharyngeal sampling is difficult to perform.”
The cities and regions of France have prepared for the imposition of stricter restrictions to control the latest increase in cases.
Bordeaux and Marseille have already introduced stricter local measures, including restricting gatherings on beaches, public outdoor events and visits to nursing homes.
Nice, Lyon and the surrounding regions were expected to follow suit, and the government asked local authorities to present their proposals for new measures on Saturday.
Germany also posted its highest daily increase in infections since April with 2,297 new cases, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
Saturday’s rise is still well below the daily incidence rate at the peak of the pandemic in March, when more than 6,000 daily cases were recorded.
