France reported 588 more Coronavirus deaths on Friday, its biggest 24-hour toll in the country since the epidemic began.

The new deaths brought the total number of people who have died in hospital of COVID-19 to 5,091 in France, top health official Jerome Salomon said.

There is no daily toll for those who have died of COVID-19 in old people's homes in France. But, Salomon said that a total of 1,416 people had died in such establishments from COVID-19 during the epidemic. This brings the total French toll to 6,507.

France has been in lockdown since 17th of March in a bid to slow the spread of the epidemic, with only essential trips allowed outside that have to be justified with a signed piece of paper.