France becomes 4th country to pass 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold

French health officials reported 509 new deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total to 4,032. This makes the country the fourth to pass the 4,000-fatalities threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States.

After speeding up the previous two days, the rate of increase of deaths in the country has decelerated. France is now in its third week of lockdown. The daily tally only accounts for those dying in hospital. Authorities say they will very soon be able to compile data on deaths in retirement homes.

State health agency director Jerome Salomon says that the number of cases had risen to 56,989, a rise of nine percent, versus 17 percent on Tuesday. The officials added that 6,017 people were in a serious condition needing life support, up eight percent compared with Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The number of beds has been increased in intensive care units from 5,000 to about 10,000 since the start of the crisis and it is scrambling to reach 14,500.