France registers 642 deaths due to COVID-19 in last 24 hours

Paris [France], April 19 (Sputnik/ANI): France's COVID-19 death toll reported in the country's hospitals and care facilities has risen to 19,323 after 642 deaths were registered in the preceding 24 hours, the national public health agency announced on Saturday.
The daily increase to the death toll is a significant decline from the 761 deaths announced by public health officials in Friday's daily statistical update.
"Since March 1, we are mourning 19,323 deaths related to COVID-19 in France: 11,842 in hospitals and 7,481 in care facilities," the agency said in a statement.
A further 2,569 cases of the coronavirus disease have been reported in France over the preceding 24 hours, raising the overall total since the start of the outbreak to 111,821, health authorities announced.
The number of patients undergoing intensive care treatment after contracting the disease has fallen for the tenth day in a row, the agency stated. A total of 5,833 people remain in intensive care units.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the extension of stringent social distancing measures that have resulted in the closure of restaurants, parks, museums, and shops, as part of attempts to curb the spread of the disease, until May 11. From this date, the measures will be lifted gradually, the president stated. (Sputnik/ANI)