Medical staff members load a patient on an ambulance after arriving on a plane during a transfer operation of people suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), from Avignon to Vannes Airport, France, November 4, 2020. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe PARIS (Reuters) – France registered 40,558 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, compared to 36,330 on Tuesday and a record of 52,518 on Monday, health ministry data showed. The total number of cases increase to 1,543,321 but the ministry added that the number of new cases reported on Wednesday was a minimum number due to problems with data gathering. The ministry also reported that the number of people who have died from the virus increased to 38,674, from 38,289 on Tuesday. It said there were 394 new deaths in hospitals over the past 24 hours.