49,215 new coronavirus cases over 24 hours in France

France on Friday reported 49,215 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, compared to 47,637 on Thursday and a record high of 52,010 on Sunday.

A new national lockdown came into effect on Friday in France in an effort to put the brakes on a COVID-19 epidemic that officials say risks spiralling out of control.

The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 rose by 256 over 24 hours to 36,565, the health ministry said. The cumulative number of cases now stands at 1,331,984.