PARIS: France on Tuesday reported 63,405 coronavirus infections, the second-highest number of new infections this year since April.

The new cases pushed the seven-day moving average of new cases to 49,506, its highest level in 2021, data from the health ministry showed.

The new cases pushed the cumulative total to 8.33 million, but the week-on-week rate of increase in the seven-day moving average fell further to just 11%, compared to a high of 83% on Nov. 19. Since then, new case tallies have been going up, but the rate of increase has slowed every day.

France says 5th Covid wave hitting at 'lightning' speed

Health Minister Olivier Veran told parliament on Tuesday that it seemed that France has reached a peak in new COVID-19 infections in the latest wave of the epidemic, with around 50,000 new cases per day.

France on Tuesday also reported 158 COVID-19 deaths, pushing the toll to 120,832. The number of people in intensive care with the disease rose by another 40 to 2,792.