French ordered to stay home from midday Tuesday

PARIS - France is at war against coronavirus, and citizens should stay home and their movement will be greatly reduced starting from Tuesday noon for at least 15 days, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday evening.

"We are at war," said Macron, repeating the phrase several times in his televised address to the nation. People must respect confinement rules or they will be punished, he warned.

To help people live through the hard time, "all rent, water, gas and electricity bills will be suspended," said Macron.

To help the health system to face the crisis, "taxis and hotels are mobilized and the State will pay," he added.

France's second round of municipal elections, previously scheduled for March 22, will be postponed. All reforms, starting from the controversial pension reform that has brought hundreds of thousands of French into demonstrations, will be suspended, said the French president.