Paris, Jan 2, 2021, SPA -- France today, on Saturday recorded 3,466 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, below the 19,348 reported a day earlier, Reuters cited data from the country's Health Ministry as showing. The increase was within the government's target of 5,000 or less per day and brought the cumulative total to 2,643,239. The COVID-19 death toll was up by 157 to 64,921, the ministry said in a daily update. Battling one of the highest COVID-19 case counts in western Europe, France has stepped up coronavirus restrictions, imposing an earlier curfew in 15 northeastern and southeastern departments from Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. --SPA 23:14 LOCAL TIME 20:14 GMT 0016 www.spa.gov.sa/w1477556