Coronavirus: France sets daily record with almost 10,000 new cases

France has registered nearly 10,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, marking its highest single-day count since the outbreak began.

Health authorities reported 9,843 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, beating the previous daily record by nearly 900.

The figures were released on the eve of a key meeting of ministers and health experts on the tightening measures.

France has the seventh highest number of deaths from Covid-19 in the world.

More than 30,800 people in the country have died from coronavirus.

The number of patients in the country’s intensive care units has also been on the rise in recent days. Although the hospital figures are still far from the peaks reached in April, there is concern about the tension that the increase in infection rates could generate in the health system.

At Friday’s meeting, officials will discuss introducing new measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The head of the scientific council that advises the government on the pandemic, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, has warned that “tough” decisions may be necessary.

President Emmanuel Macron said the meeting would give the public a clear idea of ​​what to expect in the coming weeks.

“We need to be as transparent and clear as possible,” he said Thursday, according to the AFP news agency. “We have to be demanding and realistic without giving in to any kind of panic.”

Dubbed the “relaunch of France,” it aims to reverse the rise in unemployment and includes tax cuts for businesses.

Other countries in Europe are also experiencing increases in coronavirus cases.

Spain this week became the first country in the European Union to register more than half a million cases of Covid-19, after adding some 100,000 new cases in the last month.

The World Health Organization has warned of a possible resurgence of the disease in Europe in October and November.

Several countries have reimposed local blockades in the worst affected regions and calls for people to wear face masks and follow social distancing rules have been renewed.

Students in many countries have returned to school in recent days, after months away from the classroom due to the pandemic.