During a press conference, health agency director Jerome Salomon added the number of cases had risen to 12,612, up from 10,995 on Thursday, which is a rise of 15% in 24 hours.
Salomon said 1,297 people were in a serious condition, needing life support, up 16% compared to Thursday.
It is estimated France has around 5,000 beds equipped with the necessary gear but these are unevenly spread around the country.