A family in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on May 16 – the first Saturday after France eased its lockdown on May 11 Photo: cnsphoto

 
With 107 COVID-19 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, France's total death toll from the coronavirus-caused disease rose to 28,940 on Tuesday, official figures showed.

Among the deaths, 18,590 were reported in hospitals, 84 more than the day before, 10,350 were reported at nursing homes and medico-social establishments since March 1, said the Health Ministry in a statement.

Currently, 14,028 patients are still in hospitals, including 1,253 in intensive care. The two figures, key indicators to evaluate the country's ability to cope with the epidemic, fell by 260 and 49 respectively in the last 24 hours.

Of the 101,932 hospitalized since early March, 68,812 were declared recovered and returned home, said the ministry.

The number of confirmed cases increased by 766 in one day to 151,325, it added.

On Tuesday, restaurants, bars and cafes throughout France reopened their doors to customers. Museums, parks and schools are all allowed to reopen now. Swimming pools, gyms, amusement parks and theaters in so-called "green" zones also reopened.

Unlimited travel is now permitted between the country's regions, and people can once again enjoy the sun and the sea as the beaches have also reopened.

"France has entered the second phase of deconfinement...French people find some of their daily habits again. This good news should not make us forget that the virus remains active," warned the ministry.