Macron announces curfew amid second wave of coronavirus cases in France

President Emmanuel Macron announced a curfew in France in the wake of a surging second wave of the coronavirus in a number of cities, including Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse.

Sputnik reported on Wednesday that the curfew would be in effect from 9 a.m. (19:00 GMT) to 6 a.m. (4:00 GMT) for four weeks starting Saturday.

"Yes, what we call curfew is an adequate measure," Sputnik quoted Macron in an interview with the local media. The French President also added that the curfew would operate in the Ile-de-France region, as well as in Lille, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Montpellier, Toulouse.

It was further reported that Macron said that the country was going through the second wave of COVID-19, adding that "control" has not been "lost".

"We have not lost control. We are in a situation that worries us ... But we have drawn conclusions from the first wave of the epidemic," he said.

"In fact, the virus, which we have been familiar with now for eight months, is returning. We are in a situation that is often called the second wave," the French leader said.

According to Sputnik, France has seen a resurgence in coronavirus cases since July, with the most recent record daily high of nearly 27,000 infections confirmed on October 10.

As of Wednesday, the French authorities confirm that the country has 756,472 COVID-19 cases and 32,942 related fatalities.