France has reported its worst day ever since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when it comes to new infections. More than 91,000 people contracted the virus over the last 24 hours, according to government data.
A total of 91,608 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in France on Thursday, the national Public Health Agency reported, adding that the absolute majority (97%) of new infections were caused by the Delta strain.
The newly released numbers surpassed the two previous records that the nation saw in November 2020 and April 2021, when the reported daily cases exceeded 85,000 and 84,000, respectively. The figures also turned out to be even higher than the predictions made by Health Minister Olivier Veran, who said earlier on Thursday that the new cases were likely to surpass 88,000.
“Today’s figures are not good,” Veran said at the time. He also warned earlier this week that France might very well see the day when the number of daily cases reaches 100,000.
On Thursday, France registered 179 new Covid-19 deaths, while the number of patients in intensive care units reached 3,208. According to the Public Health Agency, 1,679 patients were admitted to intensive care units over the last seven days.
President Emmanuel Macron still hopes that a massive vaccine booster campaign can turn the tide of the fifth Covid-19 wave to hit the nation. He seeks to avoid tougher restrictions, although the government previously said that all options are on the table if the healthcare system gets overwhelmed.