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Motorbike rider who clashed with police Saturday calls for calm as vandalism erupts in France's suburbs.

The daily tally – 387 deaths in hospital and 144 in nursing homes – brought France's total Covid-19 death toll to 20,796, top health official Jérôme Salomon told reporters.

French government becomes first to call for invasive measures in effort to combat coronavirus.

With France under virtual lockdown the famous landmark off the north-west coast, which usually draws more than 2 million visitors a year, lies empty except for 30 local residents whose restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes depend on the influx of tourists.

Health chief  Jérôme Salomon said coronavirus-linked fatalities were up 2.8%, at 20,265, after an increase of 2.0% on Sunday.

Tear gas and batons were used by police officers in the northern Paris suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne after a number of police vehicles and bins were set on fire.

In a televised press conference on Sunday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe warned that despite a target of a gradual lifting of lockdown measures beginning next month it will be a long time before normal life returns to the country, adding 'we'll have to learn how to live with the virus', while discouraging summer travel plans and estimating that 'the strongest recession since 1945' will see the nation's economy contract by about ten percent. 

A total of 395 people died in hospitals and care homes from Covid-19 virus infection over the previous 24 hours, French officials announced on Sunday evening, the lowest toll in three weeks and which brought the total number of recorded deaths from the virus since the start of the epidemic to 19,718, while there was a slight fall in the numbers of those hospitalised by the infection, and fewer also in intensive care for the 11th consecutive day.

Dutch start up Hardt Hyperloop claims a study carried out in collaboration with the province of North Holland demonstrates the viability of the high-speed pod transport project, which it argues could link Amsterdam to Paris in half the current rail journey time.

During the 24 hours up until Friday evening, 761 people died in France's hospitals and care homes from the effects of the Covid-19 virus, according to official figures, bringing the country's total number of officially recorded deaths from the virus to 18,681, while the numbers of those hospitalised for the infection, and notably those in intensive care, continued along this week's downward trend.