France death toll from coronavirus reaches 4032

France has registered 4,032 coronavirus-related deaths in the hospitals across the country since the epidemic began, Jerome Salomon, the head of the national public health service, said on Wednesday.

Over the past 24 hours, France reported 509 COVID-19 fatalities, its highest daily number.

"Since March 1, 4,032 [deaths] have been recorded in French hospitals," Salomon said.

This makes France the fourth country to have surpassed the 4,000 death toll after Italy, Spain and the United States.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in France climbed from 52,128 to 56,989 in one day.

According to Salomon, 6,017 patients are in critical condition.

To combat the spread of the coronavirus, the French authorities imposed strict quarantine measures on March 17 -- citizens need a special permit to leave the house. All cafes, restaurants, cinemas and most stores are closed. The measures are in place until at least April 15.