covid-19

French ravers speak of 'resistance' against a crackdown by security forces encouraged by locals to restore order.

The French president warned of the 'considerable ... collateral damage' of a lockdown, as he held talks with German leader Angela Merkel.

The move has sparked allegations of favouritism since Philippe de Villiers, a far-right French politician who founded the Puy du Fou, is said to be a friend of President Emmanuel Macron.

The move has sparked allegations of favouritism since Philippe de Villiers, a far-right French politician who founded the Puy du Fou, is said to be a friend of President Emmanuel Macron.

France's health ministry reported 3,310 new coronavirus infections, marking a post-lockdown high for the fourth day in a row. 

France has reported more than 2,500 new COVID-19 infections for the second day in a row, levels only last seen since mid-April.

Jobless rate fell to 7.1%, from 7.8% in the first quarter, hitting its lowest level since the second quarter of 1983, when it stood at 7.0%.

France's Top 14 rugby competition will be most affected by the extension of the regulations, as 60 per cent of professional clubs’ incomes are based on matchday revenues.

If people did not act collectively the country faced a heightened risk that any rebound in epidemic becomes 'hard to control' Jean Castex said.

Police blocked off an area in the Cévennes national park where up to 10,000 people, including small children, attended the unsanctioned rave at the weekend.

Champagne producers estimate sales losses to now caused by the public restrictions to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, notably affecting group partying, the restaurant sector and entertainment businesses, amount to around 2 million dollars.

After a steady rise in numbers of people testing positive with Covid-19 virus infection in Paris and its suburban ring, where the percentage of those testing positive is also above the national average, the wearing of face masks in 'crowded zones' has been made compulsory as of Monday.

The French scientific committee set up to monitor and advise on the Covid-19 virus epidemic in the country has warned that the current spread of the virus could 'at any moment' spin out of control and concluded that it was 'highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter'.

Figures released by French public health authority Santé Publique France on Friday showed a 54 percent increase in recorded cases of Covid-19 virus infection in mainland France, notably high among younger age groups, and a significant jump in reported clusters nationwide, while infected patients in intensive care in hospital rose by one over the past 24 hours marking the first increase in three months.

Fears of a second wave of the novel coronavirus epidemic in France were further fuelled on Wednesday after the number of confirmed cases rose to 185,196, when the county's health authorities said that, aside from the continuous decline of people in ICU units, indicators showed 'an increase of the viral circulation'.