Medics reported 9,843 new confirmed Covid-19 cases this evening easily beating the previous record of 8,975 set six days ago.

The worrying news comes just a day before a crucial cabinet meeting which will look at imposing new local lockdowns to curb the spike.

President Emmanuel Macron said the summit would give the public a clear idea of what can be expected in the coming weeks.

“We need to be as transparent and clear as possible,” he said.

“We need to be demanding and realistic without giving in to any kind of panic.”