The French government will put Lyon and Lille on maximum COVID-19 alert, France Inter radio reported on Thursday, paving the way for new restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the two cities.
Health Minister Olivier Veran will announce the decision at a news conference on Thursday, it said on its website.
Officials at the French Health Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
Paris and Marseille are already on maximum alert. This has resulted in bars in the capital having to close for two weeks and restaurants have had to set up new sanitary protocols to stay open.
Health authorities on Wednesday reported a record 24-hour rise in new COVID-19 infections, with almost 19,000 additional cases reported, and President Emmanuel Macron said new restrictions would be imposed to contain the pandemic.
France has the ninth-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world, with 32,445 casualties.
(Reuters)
