French coronavirus death toll stays under 30, cases slightly up

France reported 29 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, taking the total to 29,436, the fifth-highest in the world, and marking the sixth day with under 30 fatalities.

And the number of new confirmed cases of the disease was only up 152, the lowest increase in 14 days, at 157,372. The government also reported the number of people in hospital fell by 129 to 10,752 and those in intensive care units fell by 23 to 846, with both tallies continuing weeks-long down-trends.

These figures are published a day after President Emmanuel Macron said he was accelerating France's exit from its coronavirus lockdown, with, amongst others, a full reopening of restaurants and cafes in Paris.