France unveils emergency measures as COVID-19 spreads

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - France has unveiled new measures to avert an outbreak within its borders as the coronavirus rapidly spreads across Europe.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe held an emergency meeting in Paris which was attended by government leaders and opposition members.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party, was the only notable absence.

The strategy finalized at the meeting contained an assurance of resources and focused on a three-pronged approach.

It was agreed that a total of 108 hospitals across France will be equipped to receive coronavirus patients; 200 million extra protective masks will be ordered; and mayors of all towns will receive information kits for their areas.

The prime minister said the government was taking a measured approach and urged citizens to be cautious but not worry excessively.

"There is no need to panic, but also do not be negligent," said Philippe.

The meeting, however, came before a report on Thursday night of 20 new COVID-19 cases in France.

According to Health Minister Olivier Veran, the new cases took France’s tally to 38, of which two patients have died and 24 remain hospitalized.

Of the new cases, 12 were in the Oise department in the north and eight were from the Haute-Savoie region in eastern France.

Two of the new confirmed patients are in serious condition. One is at Tenon Hospital in Paris and the other in Compiegne in Oise.

The minister said 12 people have been cured and discharged from medical facilities.

Nearly 83,000 COVID-19 cases and over 2,800 deaths have been confirmed in more than 45 countries around the world.

France’s neighbor Italy is the worst-affected country in Europe and, according to local media reports, the number of cases there has risen to 650.

The death toll in Italy increased to 17 on Friday, according to the latest figures released by the country’s head of civil protection.

China, where the outbreak originated, is the worst-hit, with more than 78,000 cases and over 2,700 fatalities.