France sets one-day record with more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases

French officials announced on Thursday that the European country set another single-day record for new COVID-19 cases, recording more than 30,000 new cases.  

France confirmed a total of 30,621 new coronavirus cases as a surge wipes the nation, an increase from Wednesday’s documented 22,591 new cases, Reuters reported.

The highest single-day increase in cases came one day after French President Emmanuel Macron announced a nightly curfew in Paris and eight other cities beginning on Saturday night.

The previous single-day record for new cases in France occurred last week on Oct. 10 when 26,896 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed. Thursday’s increase brought France’s total from the entire pandemic to 809,684 cases. 

The country documented 88 new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday and 104 new fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the total to 33,125. The number of patients in intensive care units rose by 77 on Thursday, according to Reuters.

France’s Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the jump in cases on Twitter and pleaded with French citizens to take action to reduce the virus’s spread. 

“All of us have, within us, the possibility, by your behavior, to protect us, to protect others and to slow the circulation of the virus,” he said, according to a translation from Euronews. 

#COVID19 | J’appelle nos concitoyens à mesurer la gravité de la situation.
La barre des 30 000 cas positifs a été franchie ce soir.
Nous avons tous, en nous, la possibilité, par nos comportements, de nous protéger, de protéger les autres et de freiner la circulation du virus. pic.twitter.com/DlTs3RucYP

— Jean Castex (@JeanCASTEX) October 15, 2020

Macron announced Wednesday that Paris, Rouen, Lille, Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Grenoble, Montpellier, Marseille and Toulouse will have a 9 p.m. curfew starting Saturday. The curfew will impact almost a third of France’s population. 

“We have to act. We need to put a brake on the spread of the virus,” Macron said.

Health experts have cautioned that the fall and winter seasons could bring a second wave of coronavirus as more people spend time indoors.