France's new COVID infections up again, ICU patients above 3,000

French health authorities reported 4,240 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours on Monday, down from Sunday's 18,346 but higher than last Monday's 3,736, raising fears the country might have to resort to a third lockdown.

And the number of people being treated in intensive care units (ICUs) for the disease was up again at 3,041, going above the 3,000 threshold - a key limit that led the government to relax the second lockdown on Dec. 15 - for the first time since Dec. 9.

France's cumulative total of cases now stands at 3,057,857, the sixth-highest in the world.