French new coronavirus cases above 3,000 for second day

The number of coronavirus clusters being investigated in France had increased to 263, the ministry said in its a website update. The number of people in hospital was up slightly at 4,860, adding to a rise recorded a day earlier, while the number of intensive care patients was unchanged at 376 after increasing the previous day, the ministry said. France's cumulative death toll from COVID-19 for hospitals and nursing homes had risen by one to 30,410, it said.

France's health ministry on Sunday reported 3,015 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours, the second day in a row in which new cases have surpassed the 3,000 mark.

However, the daily count was below the 3,310 cases reported on Saturday that marked a post-lockdown high, the ministry's data showed. A sharp rise in cases in France has led the authorities in the country's two biggest cities, Paris and Marseille, to expand zones where wearing a mask is mandatory outdoors, while the government is set to propose masks be worn in shared indoor workspaces.

The resurgence also prompted Britain to impose a 14-day quarantine for people arriving from France as of Saturday. The number of coronavirus clusters being investigated in France had increased to 263, the ministry said in its a website update.

The number of people in hospital was up slightly at 4,860, adding to a rise recorded a day earlier, while the number of intensive care patients was unchanged at 376 after increasing the previous day, the ministry said. France's cumulative death toll from COVID-19 for hospitals and nursing homes had risen by one to 30,410, it said.