France's average daily Covid infections near three-month high

French health authorities reported 5,266 daily new Covid-19 infections on Monday, pushing the seven-day moving average of new cases to an almost three-month high.

The average, which smooths out daily reporting irregularities, rose to 18,479, a level unseen since August 27, from a three-month low of 4,172 on October 10. France set a 2021 record of 42,225 in mid-April before falling to a low of 1,816 at the end of June.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Sunday that the current wave of the pandemic was "rampant". Unlike other European countries, France has yet to announce new restrictive measures to contain the disease, with some experts saying the wave could peak about Christmas.

The cumulative total of infections now stands at 7.42 million. In another sign that the coronavirus's spread is speeding up again, the number of people treated in intensive care units for Covid-19 went up by 67 over 24 hours to 1,409, passing 1,400 for the first time since September 30.

The number of patients requiring hospital treatment for the disease increased by 300 from Sunday to 8,338, the highest daily rise since August 23.

France also registered 97 deaths from the epidemic – the highest figure since September 21 – taking the total to 118,540. The seven-day moving average of new fatalities reached an almost two-month high of 49.