France nears 20,000 COVID deaths but situation 'improving'

France's prime minister said the country was starting to beat back the coronavirus as the outbreak's death toll approached 20,000 Sunday while new hospitalisations continued a slow decline.

The country reported 395 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the government said, bringing the epidemic tally to 19,718.

But in a positive sign, the number of people in hospital declined for the fifth day in a row to 30,610 -- a small decline of 29, top health official Jerome Salomon told a televised press conference.

There were 5,744 people in intensive care, added Salomon, 89 fewer in the 11th consecutive day of decline.

"We are scoring points against the epidemic," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the same briefing, adding the "situation is improving gradually, slowly, but surely" and the epidemic is "slowing".

But he stressed that a nationwide lockdown which entered into force on March 17 to halt the spread of the virus must be strictly respected until May 11, when it will start ...