French coronavirus death toll tops 1,000, lockdown likely to be extended

A patient infected with coronavirus is carried on a stretcher by a French rescue team before being transferred by a helicopter of the civil security (Securite Civile) from Strasbourg university hospital to Pforzheim in Germany as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in France, March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

(Reuters) - France became the fifth country to report more than 1,000 deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday and a government body dealing with the outbreak suggested the national lockdown imposed last week for an initial 15 days should last at least six weeks.

Health Minister Olivier Veran told a briefing he could not determine at this stage when the lockdown would end. If the government were to follow the scientific council's advice, France would remain at a virtual standstill until April 28.