French President Emmanuel Macron has said that all of the country’s schools, kindergartens and universities will be closed until further notice from Monday in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
In a televised address on Thursday, Mr Macron called the outbreak the most serious health crisis for France in a century and said his priority is to protect the most vulnerable.
He urged people over the age of 70 to stay at home.
French general director of health Jerome Salomon said there have been more than 2,800 confirmed cases of the virus in France and 61 deaths.