France heads wearily into a 3rd COVID lockdown as infections surge

Paris — France is going back into lockdown as the country battles a third wave of coronavirus infections. It's the third time during this pandemic that the French have been told to stay home. This lockdown starts on Saturday and is due to last four weeks.

The numbers of new coronavirus infections keeps soaring, with 59,000 new cases recorded in the 24 hours to Wednesday alone. To date, 4.64 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in France, and the disease has claimed almost 96,000 lives. Hospitals across the country are overflowing and non-essential surgeries are being cancelled. More than 5,000 patients are in intensive care this week.