French Prime Minister Says Fight Against COVID-10 Will Be Long One

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Wednesday warned his fellow citizens that the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has only just begun and stated that the fight against the disease will be a protracted one

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Wednesday warned his fellow citizens that the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has only just begun and stated that the fight against the disease will be a protracted one.

"This is a health emergency which concerns all of us, but it is also an economic shock, a social shock. We are only at the beginning of the crisis," Philippe said during a press briefing.

He added that President Emmanuel Macron had asked to resort to all necessary long-term measures.

"That is why I am telling the French: we are preparing for long-term efforts and we will have to stand against [COVID-19] together," Philippe said.

The prime minister noted that the cabinet of ministers had adopted 25 decrees within the framework of the emergency, with one of the goals being to minimize serious social and economic damage caused by the self-isolation of the population as much as possible.

According to the French Health Ministry, there are 22,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll standing at 1,100.