French virus lockdown should be extended for weeks - chief adviser

France should extend its lockdown period for several weeks in order to contain the coronavirus epidemic, the head of the medical council advising the government said on France Info radio on Wednesday.

France went into lockdown on March 17, and the measure has already been extended once to April 15. On April 2, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the lockdown would probably have to be extended beyond that date.

Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government about how to handle the epidemic, also said that as many as 17 million French people are seriously at risk from coronavirus because of age, illness or being overweight.