France toughens lockdown penalties as coronavirus kills doctor
PARIS: French lawmakers approved tougher penalties for defying a nationwide confinement order as the coronavirus death toll rose on Sunday (Mar 22), with a first member of the country's medical profession among the victims.
Reacting to news of the doctor's death, health minister Olivier Veran paid tribute to medical staff confronting the pandemic and urged other workers to keep key services running, even as the lockdown halts many businesses deemed non-essential.
