French minister says some regions may face extra coronavirus measures

"There are a few cities and areas in France where the virus is circulating much more quickly than elsewhere and this may require regional confinement measures," Veran said during a visit to a health centre in Nice. The French government has used local curfews and lockdowns in other areas but has generally preferred nationwide measures.

The rapid spread of coronavirus infections in and around the French Mediterranean city of Nice will require further restrictions on movement, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday.

Veran said decisions about possible further tightening limits on people's movements will be taken over the weekend. "There are a few cities and areas in France where the virus is circulating much more quickly than elsewhere and this may require regional confinement measures," Veran said during a visit to a health center in Nice.

The French government has used local curfews and lockdowns in other areas but has generally preferred nationwide measures. "If the government decides we need to go to a partial lockdown, for instance, each weekend, I will support it and encourage it," said Christian Estrosi, the conservative mayor of Nice, who accompanied Veran on his visit.

Following its second national lockdown in November, France imposed a nationwide 8 p.m. curfew, which was tightened to 6 p.m. in mid-January. Veran said that the nationwide trend of coronavirus infections had worsened in recent days.

France reported 24,116 new infections on Friday, an increase of nearly 4,000 on the previous Friday. The seven-day average of new infections rose above 19,000 per day after falling to about 18,300 a week ago. France also reported 571 new deaths from the virus, taking the cumulative death toll to nearly 84,000.

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