Paris, Dec 7 (IANS): More than 55,000 people have died due to the novel coronavirus in France since the onset of the pandemic in the country, one of the worst-hit in Europe, according to authorities.
The country's overall death toll currently stands at 55,155 after 175 of them were recorded in the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency quoted national public health agency, Sante Publique, as saying in a statement on Sunday.
In the same period, 11,022 additional people tested positive for the virus, increasing the total caseload to 2,292,497, the agency said in the statement.
France is planning a three-stage vaccination campaign that will initially target 1 million residents in nursing homes and their staff early next year.
Starting from February 2021, the government aims to inoculate 14 million people with age-related risk factors or chronic diseases.
A broader vaccination of the general public is scheduled for spring.