France is the sixth country with more than 10 million COVID infections by Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) – France has become the sixth country in the world to report more than 10 million COVID-19 infections since the outbreak, according to official data released on Saturday.

The French health authorities have reported 219,126 new cases confirmed within 24 hours, the fourth day in a row that the country has registered more than 200,000 cases.

France joined the United States, India, Brazil, Britain and Russia with more than 10 million cases.

Saturday’s highest figure was after a record 232,200 on Friday, when French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the coming weeks would be difficult.

Speaking on New Year’s Eve, Macron did not mention the need for more restrictive health measures than previously announced, adding that the government should refrain from further restricting individual freedoms.

But the government said earlier on Saturday that wearing masks in public spaces from Monday onwards would be mandatory for children under the age of six and under the age of 11.

And some big cities, including Paris and Lyon, have re-established the wearing of street masks for everyone.

The seven-day moving average for new cases in France, smoothing out irregularities in the daily report, was a record 157,651 – up nearly five times a month.

The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has increased by 96 in 24 hours, with a peak of more than seven months at 18,811. But that figure is still almost half of the 33,497 records set in November 2020.

The COVID-19 death toll rose to 110 in 24 hours, reaching 123,851, the 12th highest in the world. The seven-day moving average for new daily deaths has reached 186 since May 14th.