France records lowest death toll in a month
French health officials announced another 80 coronavirus deaths, the lowest figure recorded over 24 hours since early April. The total death toll stands at 26,310, according to the health ministry.
![France will start lifting its almost two-month-old national lockdown from Monday [Thomas Coex/AFP]](https://gkingmusik.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/896ee4079a24406aa6973e0f7e7eca41_18-1.jpg "A woman wearing a face mask prays as people gather to applaud near the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris at 8 o'clock, on April 15, 2020, on the first anniversary of a major fire that partially destroyed the landmark, as France is on lockdown to curb the spread of the OCIVD-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. - A lone bell will ring out from what remains of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, the sole event planned to mark a year since a massive blaze nearly destroyed one of the world's most revered monuments. Reconstruction of the mediaeval cathedral has been halted, with France under lockdown over the deadly coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by THOMAS COEX / AFP)")
The number of people in intensive care units – a key measure of a health system’s ability to deal with the epidemic – fell by 56, or about two percent, to 2,812. That is less than half the peak of 7,148 seen on April 8.
The number of people in hospital with the virus also fell, to 22,614 from 22,724, continuing an uninterrupted three-week fall, and down 30 percent from an April 14 peak of 32,292.
France will start lifting its almost two-month-old national lockdown from Monday.
