French president Emmanuel Macron has ordered a new four-week national lockdown across France.
In a bid to stop the rapid spread of coronavirus, the country will now have strict new measures imposed from Friday, with the president warning the second wave of the virus is "likely to be deadlier than the first"..
It follows shortly after the country reported record numbers of new cases - and a sharp increase in Covid-19 related deaths.
The televised broadcast this evening came after a second emergency meeting with the country's government ministers about stricter measures being applied nationally.
“(France has been) overpowered by a second wave,” Mr Macron said in the announcement.
He said the measures were necessary to protect the elderly, the young, health workers and the economy. He stressed that "all French regions are now in high alert".
Large parts of France were already under a strict night curfew - but the authorities say this has not been enough to halt the spread.
The country is now reporting daily death figures of over 500 and new cases reaching 33,000 - and even this is thought to be an underestimation. The country's overall death toll is now 35,541, the third-highest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy.
Hospital beds are also quickly filling up - with an estimated 70% of inpatients in Paris made up of coronavirus patients.
The government is scheduled to lay out the details of the new lockdown on Thursday.
The new restrictions are expected to be similar to the total lockdown measures implemented during the first wave of the virus in March - however it thought that this time schools will stay open.
It is understood the whole country will remain under the national lockdown until December 1.
