The number of people who died from coronavirus infections in French hospitals and care homes increased by 10 percent in a day to a cumulative total of 8,911, Health Minister Olivier Véran told a news conference on Monday.

Véran said French hospitals recorded 605 new coronavirus deaths over the most recend 24-hour period, the highest daily toll since the start of the outbreak. The figure brought the total tally at hospitals to 6,494.

He added that the number of people who died in nursing homes included in the final figure was still only based on partial data.

At both hospitals and nursing homes, the rate of increase in fatalities has speeded up again after several days of slowing.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)