French health authorities reported 186 new deaths from coronavirus on Monday, taking the total to 860 in a sharp 28 percent toll rise as prime minister Édouard Philippe warned the country’s strict lockdown measures could tighten and last weeks, reports FRANCE 24.
As France entered the second week of a nationwide lockdown, the toal number of confirmed coronavirus cases also increased Monday to 19,856, or a rise of about 20 percent in 24 hours.
At a press conference Monday, health minister Olivier Véran said 2,082 people were in a serious condition needing life support, up 19 percent compared to Sunday, in another increase compared to the last three official tallies.
The latest victims included a general practitioner and a gynaecologist, bringing the number of health workers who have died from the contagion to five, Véran confirmed.
The rise in coronavirus tolls came as French prime minister Édouard Philippe said the country’s tight lockdown, originally believed to last around 15 days, could be extended by several more weeks and that his government was tightening restrictions even further.
From Tuesday, the public will only be able to exercise alone or with their children once a day, for no more than an hour, and within a kilometre of their home, said Philippe. Open-air markets would also close, he added.