PARIS (Reuters) – France has entered an eighth wave of the COVID-19 virus, as the winter season approaches, said a leading French health official.

"Yes, we are in this eighth wave," said Brigitte Autran, who is a member of the government's vaccination strategic board.

"All the indicators are on the up," added Autran.

France's COVID figures published on Monday showed that the seven day moving average of daily new cases had reached, with the latest reported figure of 45,631, its highest level since August 2.

France's COVID overall hospitalisation figures, at 15,166, and the numbers of COVID patients in hospital intensive care units (ICU) – at 843 – were also at their highest level since the end of August.

France's number of COVID deaths currently stands at over 151,500, according to the World Health Organisation.

(Reporting by Myriam Rivet; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

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