PARIS (BLOOMBERG) - France's coronavirus-linked deaths slowed for a second day on Saturday (April 11) and the number of intensive-care patients fell to the lowest in a week.

Coronavirus infections rose by 4,785 to 129,654, the smallest increase in three days, director-general for health Jerome Salomon said at a briefing in Paris.

Deaths since the start of the outbreak reached 13,832, an increase of 635 from the toll reported on Friday.

"Now is not the time to end confinement," Salomon said. "The pressure on hospitals remains very high."

France started including partial data from nursing homes this month, after underreporting the severity of the outbreak in the prior weeks, making for volatile reporting over the past 10 days.

French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Monday about extending confinement measures that started more than three weeks ago.

Spain and Germany on Saturday reported the smallest increases in deaths linked to the coronavirus in more than a week, and officials say the figures show lockdowns are working and are warning against relaxing restrictions too soon.

The number of ICU patients - viewed by Salomon as a gauge of the outbreak's intensity - dropped for a third consecutive day after falling for the first time on Thursday.

Salomon said 6,883 coronavirus patients remained in intensive care on Saturday, more than the 5,000 ICU beds available at the start of the outbreak, before France scaled up its capacity to more than 8,000 beds.

SOCIAL DISTANCING?

France's lockdown is scheduled to end April 15, though Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said the confinement measures will probably be prolonged. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday extended his country's restrictions until May 3.

"I'm struck that people aren't respecting physical distance rules," Salomon said.

Related Story Coronavirus cases in Singapore: What we know so far

Related Story Interactive: How coronavirus is spreading across the world

France's only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, is returning from operations earlier than planned after several dozen sailors fell ill with the virus, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. It will reach its home port of Toulon on Sunday.

France will track and sanction any fraud in the use of its temporary unemployment benefits scheme, Junior Finance Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on France info radio on Saturday.

The number of applicants for the aid, which is expected to cost over €20 billion (S$30 billion) for three months, has risen to eight million employees, now covering one out of three workers outside the government sector, Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said on Twitter.