French lockdown helped slow coronavirus but too soon to lift it, PM says

A mural showing a portrait of actress Marylin Monroe by A. Fresco is seen in a deserted street of Cannes as a lockdown is imposed to slow the rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cannes, France, April 8, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

PARIS (Reuters) - France's lockdown, in place for more than three weeks, has helped contain the spread of the new coronavirus but the time to lift the restrictions has not yet come, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Wednesday.

Philippe told parliament the lockdown would "last", again suggesting it may be extended beyond its current April 15 end date. COVID-19 has killed more than 10,000 people in France.