France has announced a record 30,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day, writes Euronews. Prime Minister Jean Castex made the revelation on Twitter, calling on French citizens to understand the seriousness of the situation: “All of us have, within us, the possibility, by our behaviour, to protect us, to protect others and to slow the circulation of the virus”.

In France, a four-week state of emergency was re-introduced on Wednesday, with Castex revealing the extent of the measures the following afternoon.

From midnight on Saturday, a curfew will come into force in and around Paris, and eight other metropolitan areas. These include Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier, Rouen, St Etienne and Toulouse.