FILE PHOTO: People walk on the banks of the river Seine after France began a gradual end to a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Paris, France, May 17, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
May 18, 2020
PARIS (Reuters) – French health authorities reported 131 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, or a slowing increase of 0.5%, bringing the total to 28,239, still the fourth-highest in the world behind the U.S., Britain and Italy.
In a statement, the ministry said the number of people in intensive care with COVID-19 infection declined by 4.3% to 1,998, below the 2,000 threshold for the first time since March 22.
(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Chris Reese)
