PARIS: With 11, 221 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in a 24-hour span, France has continued to witness a fall in the number of single-day infections, according to health authorities.
Friday's figure was lower than Thursday's 12, 696 and well below the record 60, 486 reported on November 6, suggesting the country, which entered a second lockdown in late October, is gaining control over the virus resurgence, reports Xinhua news agency.
As of Saturday morning, the total caseload stood at 2, 321, 703.
Also on Friday, France registered 627 new fatalities, which increased the death toll to 54, 859.
Among the new fatalities, 282 died in hospitals, down from 324 registered a day before.
Another 345 new deaths were reported in retirement homes over a three-day period.
A total of 26, 311 infected patients remain in hospitals for treatment, representing a daily fall of 392.
Of those hospitalized, 132 left resuscitation units in the past 24 hours, reducing the total number of serious cases to 3, 293.
France is planning a three-stage vaccination campaign that will initially target 1 million older people in nursing homes and their staff early next year.
Starting from February 2021, the government aims to inoculate 14 million people with age-related risk factors or chronic diseases.
A broader vaccination of the general public is scheduled for spring.