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| France orders non-essential public places to close | France orders non-essential public places to close |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has ordered the closure of all non-essential public locations from midnight (23:00 GMT Saturday) in response to the coronavirus outbreak. | |
| The measure applies to restaurants, cafes, cinemas and discos, as well as non-essential businesses. | |
| Mr Philippe also called on French people to reduce their travel, especially between towns. | |
| France reported a sharp rise in cases on Saturday, from 3,661 to 4,499. | |
| It recorded 12 more deaths, bringing the toll to 79. | |
| Spain is poised to declare a 15-day national lockdown on Monday to battle the virus, following similar measures by Italy earlier this week. | |
| And the US is to extend its European coronavirus travel ban to include the UK and Republic of Ireland. | |
| What does the French shutdown entail? | |
| Mr Philippe said the shutdown would apply until further notice. | |
| It would not, he said, affect essential businesses which he listed as food shops, chemists, banks, tobacco shops and petrol stations. | |
| Local elections due on Sunday would also still go ahead. | |
| Religious buildings would remain open but gatherings and ceremonies should be postponed. | |
| The prime minister justified the shutdown by saying the spread of the virus in France was accelerating and the number of people needing intensive care support was growing. | |
| He also said too many people were still out in the streets and not following earlier guidelines. | |
| "The best way to slow down the epidemic", he said, was "social distancing". | |
| In other developments | |
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