France sets new daily COVID infections record
PARIS, France (AFP)— France set a new daily coronavirus infections record on Friday, registering 94,124 cases over 24 hours, the highest figure since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
It marked the second day in a row that infections climbed to record highs.
The numbers are likely to climb further, fuelled by the super-contagious Omicron variant and the Christmas holiday season, when schools are closed and families gather.
Some 16,173 people are currently hospitalised for COVID-19 in the country, with 3,254 of them in emergency care.
Some 122,462 people have died of COVID-19 in France since the start of the pandemic.
Some 76.5 per cent of the population have received two vaccine doses, and nearly 21 million people in a country of 67.4 million residents have received a booster shot.
On Friday, health authority recommended that adults receive a booster jab three months after their initial vaccination.
