Paris, Apr 11 (IANS): The novel coronavirus has claimed 13,197 deaths in French hospitals and retirement homes, an increase of 987 from a day earlier while the number of critically-ill patients declined for a second consecutive day, offering a "pale ray of sunshine," said General Director of Health Jerome Salomon at his daily briefing on the epidemic.

Further 554 patients died in the country's health institutions in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 8,598. The cumulative tally of deaths in accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people since March 1 stood at 4,599, up from 4,166.

A 10-year-old child tested positive for the COVID-19 had died in Parisian region, but the cause of his death "seems however multiple", said Salomon on Friday, reported Xinhua news agency.

The total infections detected in hospitals rose by 4.25 percent to 90,000, slower than Thursday's 5.3 percent and the number of "confirmed or possible" cases in nursing homes rose to 34,193 from 31,415, said the official.

Some 31,276 are hospitalized, among them 7,004 in intensive care units, down by 62 in the last 24 hours.

"It's a pale ray of sunshine, but this tiny improvement is very important for all caregivers," said Solomon, adding that "a very high plateau seems to be starting. We must remain completely vigilant."

Noting a positive impact of containment for days, Salomon stressed that "staying home is acting against the virus, is acting against disease, is saving lives."

On April 7, France entered its fourth week of nationwide confinement.