With almost 60.000 new cases, France reports new Covid-19 record

Nearly 60,000 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours in France, almosst 20,000 more than on Wednesday, while Denmark shuts down over a mutation of the illness.

According to public health authorities, the number reached this level because of "problems in reporting test results." On Wednesday, France reported some 40,500 cases.

Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon said the current second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was “brutal” and the infection was “spreading rapidly".

With 367 new deaths in hospital in 24 hours, the virus killed 39,037 people since the beginning of the epidemic.

France is under a second lockdown since 30 October.

Mutated version.
Meanwhile, Denmark announced special restrictions for more than 280,000 people in the northwest of the country on Thursday after a mutated version of the new coronavirus linked to mink farms was found in humans.

Copenhagen warned that the mutation could threaten the effectiveness of any future vaccine.

Public transport in the region will be shut down with buses and trains stopped from entering or leaving.

Denmark, the world's largest exporter of mink fur, raised concerns on Wednesday by announcing the slaughter of all mink in the country, numbering 15 to 17 million spread over 1,080 farms, following the discovery of the mutation which can be passed to humans.

The mutation has already been detected in 12 people, 11 cases in the region being closed down, and one in another.

(With agencies)