DIRECT. Coronavirus: “a good hundred” of schools are closed according to Jean-Michel Blanquer

> The essential

• The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in France has increased from 130 to 191, which raises serious concerns among the population.
• The virus killed a third person in France: an 89-year-old woman from Oise.
• The epidemic worldwide continues to spread with 3,083 deaths and 90,151 cases in 73 countries.
• The epidemic is accelerating outside China, especially in the United States, with four new deaths.
• Emmanuel Macron, who is “neither sick nor confined”, announced that he is changing his agenda to manage the crisis.

> Follow the day’s events live:

9:20. “A good hundred” schools closed according to Jean-Michel Blanquer. These schools, colleges and high schools are closed mainly in the Oise and Morbihan, main foci of the new coronavirus.

“A good hundred schools are closed,” says the Minister of National Education on LCI, citing the closure of “about 120” schools. This concerns “around 35,000 students in the Oise”, and “9,000 in the Morbihan”. These figures “evolve quickly”. It is possible that there are other outbreaks that “appear in the coming days,” says Jean-Michel Blanquer.

9:05. The ECB will discuss possible measures on March 12. The European Central Bank will discuss “on 12 March”, at its next meeting, possible responses to the risks that the spread of the new coronavirus poses to the economy.

“The discussion between governors of central banks of the euro area on actions to be taken has not yet taken place, it will be at the next meeting of the board of governors,” said a source close to the ECB on Tuesday.

8:45. 260 million for hospitals, “between 15 and 20 million masks” destocked. Olivier Véran announces to release an envelope of 260 million euros “not spent in 2019” for the hospital, in crisis and on the front line facing the epidemic.