France extends virus lockdown as 'difficult days' loom

France on Friday extended its coronavirus lockdown for ar two weeks as premier warned of "difficult days" to come following a surge in cases that is beginning to put French health system under pressure.

After 365 people died and more than 2,300 people were hospitalised in France in a single day, military sent a plane Friday to evacuate six patients from hard-hit east of country where hospitals are overstretched.

"We find ourselves in a crisis that will last, in a health situation that will t improve any time soon," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said. " situation will be difficult in days to come," he ded, as he anunced extension of stay-at-home order by ar two weeks to April 15.

premier warned country must "remain extremely mobilised" in fight against epidemic that has so far officially claimed 1,696 lives in France. toll is only for people who were hospitalised, t those who died at home or in old facilities, which are bly affected by outbreak.

Among recent deaths was that of a 16-year-old girl, France's youngest coronavirus victim to date. country has some 14,000 coronavirus patients in hospital, with 548 placed in intensive care just Thursday. Over 3,300 are in a critical condition. Having started in country's east, epidemic is w spreing in rrnmost Hautes-de-France, wider Paris region and or areas with "an extremely high surge that puts entire healthcare system, entire hospital system, under ermous pressure," Philippe said after a cabinet meeting held by videoconference.

premier said initial two-week home confinement of all residents except for essential employees, will w last until at least April 15. It was to have ended next Tuesday. "Obviously this period will be extended again if conditions require it," said Philippe. extension also applies to widespre business closures seen as necessary to brake propagation of virus. On Thursday, government used a high-speed TGV train to evacuate 20 patients from Alsace region bordering Germany and Switzerland to help relieve overstretched facilities re.

Ar 48 patients will be evacuated from east over weekend. Ile-de-France region around Paris is increasingly under strain, with 1,300 of its 1,500 intensive care beds reserved for coronavirus patients alrey occupied. "We are filling to maximum to accommodate as many intensive care patients as possible," said Bru Riou, medical director at AP-HP hospital group that serves Paris region.

"We have t yet reached peak of epidemic, we will have to find solutions," he told France Inter, suggesting evacuations may be needed to bring patients from Paris to hospitals in less-affected regions. French police have issued more than 225,000 fines for violations of lockdown rules so far, Police Minister Christophe Castaner said Thursday.

Philippe said Friday that lockdown measures were generally well respected, but those in violation "will be severely punished as this concerns health of all of us and, especially, most fragile." Starting Friday, Eiffel Tower will pay a daily hom with a special light show spelling "Merci" to France's healthcare workers, and reminding rest of population to "Stay at Home." 

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