France reports fall in daily coronavirus deaths, toll tops 13,800

France on Saturday reported a lower daily count for deaths from COVID-19, declaring a "plateau" h been reached in country's coronavirus epidemic, albeit at a very high level. Top French health official Jerome Salomon said 353 more people h died in hospitals and 290 in nursing homes to bring total death count to 13,832. day earlier, 554 h died in hospitals and 433 in nursing homes.

"A very high plateau for epidemic appears to have been reached but epidemic remains very active," he told reporters. "We must absolutely remain vigilant."

France has been in lockdown since March 17 in a bid to slow spre of epidemic, with only essential trips allowed that must be justified with a signed piece of paper. For third consecutive day, number of coronavirus patients in intensive care was down, with 121 fewer people in such units for a total of 6,883.

Salomon said that if plateau trend continues it means "we have succeeded in reaching a first step toger and lockdown is showing its first effects."

But he warned: "It remains a very high plateau... re are still many hospital missions... It is far too early  and t reasonable to make predictions about future."

French President Emmanuel Macron is due on Monday to dress nation for a third time during crisis and is expected to anunce that lockdown will be extended beyond its current April 15 expiration date. Macron will have to steer a careful course amid tentative signs of improvement, telling people y must still stay at home while giving indications about how confinement may be relaxed.