- Title: France reports 186 more coronavirus deaths, raising total to 860
- Date: 23rd March 2020
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 23, 2020) (POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH HEALTH MINISTER, OLIVIER VERAN, SAYING (PART AUDIO AS INCOMING): "In total, 19,856 patients are confirmed through biological testing to have the coronavirus, an increase of 3,767 sick patients diagnosed in the last 24 hours. This is then 8,675 hospitalised patients in France, 1,435 more. 2,082 persons are in critical condition, 335 persons more from yesterday. And finally, 860 people have died, meaning 186 more, from yesterday."
- Embargoed: 6th April 2020 20:38
- Keywords: COVID-19 Olivier Veran casualties coronavirus deaths
- Location: CRETEIL, PARIS AND MULHOUSE, FRANCE
- City: CRETEIL, PARIS AND MULHOUSE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002C69YD6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PART AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING
French health authorities reported 186 new deaths from coronavirus on Monday (March 23), taking the total to 860 or an increase of 28%, with the toll rising more sharply than the last three days as the country is about to enter its second week of lockdown.
During a press conference, Health Minister Olivier Veran added the number of cases had risen to 19,856, which is a rise of about 20% in 24 hours.
Veran said 2,082 people were in a serious condition needing life support, up 19% compared to Sunday (March 22), another increase compared to the last three official tallies.
French soldiers installed medical tents in eastern France to help ease the burden of hospitals facing patient capacity saturation due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The French military facility in Mulhouse in the hard-hit region of Alsace, will be able to accommodate 30 patients in critical condition.
Veran said the council of experts had recommended not to use the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which obtained promising results during a study carried out on a reduced number of patients in Marseille but has sparked debate within the medical community.
Veran said it should only be used in exceptional cases in hospital, with a consensus decision by doctors and under strict supervision.
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