France has recorded 499 new hospital deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,523, its director of health has said.

This is the highest daily rise in such deaths since the outbreak began.

Health agency director Jérôme Salomon told a news conference that the number of cases had risen to 52,128 from 44,550 in the same period.

He said a total of 5,565 patients had been placed in intensive case, a rise of 588 in 24 hours.

France is one of five countries, including the US, China, Italy and Spain, to have surpassed the threshold of 3,000 deaths.

France is not yet counting deaths outside hospitals, so the total number of deaths could potentially be higher.