BRIEF-French health minister: latest figures today show 18,000 ill with COVID in France

France/COVID: * French Health Minister Olivier Veran told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday that the latest figures given to him today by the country's SPF health body had shown a total of 18,000 people ill with the COVID-19 virus in France

* On July 19, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that a fourth wave of the COVID virus was already underway in France. * Full daily COVID-19 figures due to be published later on Tuesday