Paris, May 27 (IANS) Since early March, the pandemic of the novel coronavirus has killed 28,530 people in France, while the numbers of patients in hospitals and in intensive care units continue to drop, according to data released by the Health Ministry.

A total of 18,195 patients have died in hospitals and a further 10,335 in nursing homes and other medico-social establishments, Xinhua reported.

On Tuesday, 16,264 people remained hospitalized, 534 fewer than on Monday, and 1,555 patients were treated in intensive care, 54 less than on Monday.

Seventy-two per cent of the patients hospitalized in intensive care came from four regions (Ile-de-France, Grand-Est, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Hauts-de-France).

Since the start of the epidemic, France has confirmed 145,555 coronavirus cases. A grand total of 100,841 people have been hospitalized, including 17,807 in intensive care, while 65,879 people have recovered.

--IANS pgh/