COVID-19 deaths in France exceed 100,000, eighth-highest toll in world

PARIS (Reuters) -France’s COVID-19 death toll rose on Thursday to more than 100,000, according to the latest hospital figures from the health ministry, a bleak statistic for President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Data from the health ministry’s GEODES website said French hospitals registered 300 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, which, pushing the overall tally to more than 100,000.

“As all our energy is now focused on exiting this ordeal, we will not forget any face or any name,” Macron said on Twitter.

France has the world’s eighth-highest COVID-19 death toll. The United States is the worst-hit country in terms of COVID deaths, at 564,759, followed by Brazil, Russia and Mexico, according to a Reuters tally.

Worldwide, the death toll stands at over three million.

Coronavirus deaths in France have now nearly doubled from just over 52,000 at the end of its second lockdown at the end of November.

In the past 30 days, France has registered on average just over 300 new COVID-19 deaths per day, or 9,000 per month, compared to nearly 16,000 per month during the second lockdown.