Covid-19 cases in France reach a new record driven by faster circulation

France hit a new record for Covid-19 cases with a total of 13,498 confirmed cases within 24 hours as of Saturday, a new high since the beginning of the pandemic in March.

A six-fold increase in free testing for the virus in France as well as a faster circulation of the coronavirus bumped up the numbers, according to epidemiologists.

New cases now total 442,194 overall, while the seven-day average of new infections climbed to more than 9,700, compared with the end of May, when it was at 272, just after the end of the lockdown.

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Deaths were up by 26 on Saturday, with a grand total of 31,274, while Friday deaths were a lot higher.

Part of the jump in the death toll on Friday was due to health authorities recording previously unrecorded cases in a hospital near Paris.