France reports first decrease in coronavirus intensive care patients

France on Thursday reported its first fall in the number of patients in intensive care suffering from COVID-19 since the coronavirus epidemic began, with 82 fewer people in intensive care units compared with the day earlier.

There are now 7,066 patients in intensive care, top French health official Jerome Salomon told reporters, adding that the total combined death toll in hospitals and nursing homes had now risen to 12,210.

Urging people to keep on observing a nationwide lockdown, he said: "Thanks to these measures, we are in the process of putting the brakes on the epidemic.

Salomon  said that on Thursday evening, 30,767 people are still in hospital. 

Of the 7,066 people in intensive care, 369 were admitted in the last 24 hours. 105 of them were under the age of 30.

Over the last 24 hours, France hospitals also reported 424 dead, down from 541 on April 8.