French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation at 8pm French time (GMT +2) after a conference call with EU leaders on the coronavirus outbreak. Watch FRANCE 24's live coverage.
Macron said EU leaders have agreed to take "all measures necessary" to avoid economic instability caused by the coronavirus crisis, adding that "at the European level we will be more flexible in terms of state aid". Nevertheless the French president also reiterated that "we musn't give in to panic".
Earlier on Tuesday Macron declared that "we are only at the beginning of this epidemic", after a surprise visit to the SAMU ambulance service at Necker hospital in Paris.
France is the second-worst-affected country in Europe after Italy – which has effectively gone into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus – and Culture Minister Franck Riester and five MPs are among those who have tested positive.
In France, the virus has killed 30 people and infected 1,606.
Click on the video player above to watch FRANCE 24's live coverage.
