COVID-19: Death toll in France rises to 13,197

At least 554 more people in France died of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 13,197, an official said.

In a daily press briefing, Jerome Salomon, the country's director general of public health, said the number of confirmed cases of infection in France stands at 90,676 since the start of the outbreak, with 65,420 of those currently in the hospital.

At least 24,932 people have returned home after recovering fully, Salomon added.

For the second day in a row, he said, there were fewer coronavirus patients in intensive care in France, adding the total number of patients in intensive care is 7,004, or 62 few than the prior day.

"[It is] a pale ray of sunshine, but this […] is very important for all caregivers," Salomon said.

President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Monday evening to discuss the latest situation. It is anticipated that he will extend the lockdown currently in place. It is currently scheduled to end on April 15.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world.

The pandemic has killed over 100,000 people and infected over 1.65 million, while more than 368,000 people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.