France reports new daily record of over 100,000 new COVID-19 cases

Paris: France has reported 104,611 new cases of Covid-19, the highest daily record since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, bringing its cumulative caseload to 9,088,371.

A total of 16,162 Covid-19 patients are currently hospitalised and 3,282 of them are in intensive care, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the French Public Health Agency.

With an additional 84 Covid-19 deaths recorded, the national death toll has reached 122,546, the agency added. The French Health Ministry said that 52,712,462 people have received at least one vaccine dose, accounting for about 78.2 percent of the whole population.

On Thursday, the French Scientific Council advised the French government on the ongoing rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

"Its progression is extremely rapid, especially among the 20-29 years olds. In January, we are expecting hundreds of thousands of new cases a day," said Arnaud Fontanet, an epidemiologist and member of the scientific council.

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold on Monday a meeting of the Health Defence Council. An urgent meeting of the Council of Ministers is expected to adopt a draft bill to transform the current health pass into a vaccination pass. In order to get the new pass, French citizens must be vaccinated.