COVID-19 pandemic in France

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached France on 24 January 2020, when the first COVID-19 case in both Europe and France was identified in Bordeaux.

COVID-19 pandemic in France
Confirmed cases per million residents by region on 25 March
Regions of France with number of people currently hospitalised   Hospitalised 1~9   Hospitalised 10~99   Hospitalised 100~499   Hospitalised 500~999   Hospitalised 1000~9999   Hospitalised ≥10000
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Location	France
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Bordeaux
Arrival date	24 January 2020 (4 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Confirmed cases	140,734
Recovered	58,673
Deaths	27,074 (total) 14,050 (hospital) 8,564 (Établissement d'hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes)
Government website
Public Health France

The beginning

The first five confirmed cases were all people who had recently arrived from China. A Chinese tourist who was admitted to hospital in Paris on 28 January died on 14 February, making it the first COVID-19 death in France. The annual assembly of the Christian Open Door Church between 17 and 24 February in Mulhouse which was attended by about 2,500 people was believed where the virus spread throughout France.

Macron's response

On 12 March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on public television that all schools and all universities would close from Monday 16 March until further notice. The next day, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe banned gatherings of more than 100 people, not including public transport. The following day, the prime minister ordered the closure of all non-essential public places, including restaurants, cafés, cinemas and nightclubs, effective at midnight.

On 16 March, Macron announced mandatory home order for 15 days starting at noon on 17 March. This was extended twice, until 11 May, after which the order would end only if citizens wore face masks.

Emergency

On 2 May, Olivier Véran announced that the government would seek to extend the health emergency until 24 July. Many mayors were against the 11 May lifting of the lockdown, which had been announced by the President a few weeks earlier in a televised address to the nation, and said it was too soon. Veran's bill was discussed in Senate on 4 May.

Cases

As of 13 May, France has reported over 140,734 confirmed cases, 27,074 deaths, and 58,673 recoveries, ranking sixth in number of confirmed cases, passing China where the outbreak began.