Paris, Aug 17 (IANS): The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in France passed the 10,000 mark on Monday for the first time since June, as more restrictive measures were introduced in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.

As of Monday, 10,151 people were hospitalized with Covid-19, according to French health authorities. The last time over 10,000 people were hospitalized with the virus in France was on June 22, xinhua news agency reported.

A significant number of these hospitalizations were concentrated in Bouches-du-Rhone in the south of the country, in the Paris region and in French overseas territories including Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Reunion.

The number of patients in intensive care also increased to 1,908, compared with 1,852 on Sunday.

From Monday, a "health pass" will be required in order to enter shopping malls with a surface area of more than 20,000 square meters in regions where the COVID-19 incidence rate is higher than 200 cases per 100,000 citizens per week. Most of these shopping malls are located in the southern half of France and in the Paris region.

The health pass, which proves its holder has had two doses of a vaccine, or has recently recovered from COVID-19 or tested negative for the disease, has already been compulsory for gatherings of more than 50 people in leisure and cultural centers (such as cinemas and museums) since July 21. On August 9, it became a requirement in order to enter cafes, bars and restaurants, gyms, and even hospitals except for emergencies.

Since August, France has seen its seven-day average of new infections rising to over 20,000 from around 2,000 at the end of June.