France's average daily new COVID infections at a 6-week high

French health authorities reported 9,502 daily new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, pushing the seven-day moving average of new cases to a six-week high.

That average - which smoothes out daily reporting irregularities - rose to 6,226, a level unseen since Sept 22, from a three-month low of 4,172 on Oct. 10.

It had set a 2021 record of 42,225 in mid-April before falling to a 2021 low of 1,816 at the end of June.

The cumulative total of new cases now stands at 7.19 million.

In another sign the virus is ramping up again, the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care rose by 3 in 24 hours to 1,099 and by 62 over a week.

France also registered 49 new deaths from the epidemic, taking the total to 117,832. The seven day moving average of new fatalities reached an almost one-month high of 34.