A French doctor has become the country;s first medic to die from coronavirus, according to the country's health minister.

Olivier Veran said he heard on Saturday a physician had passed away after testing positive for Covid-19.

It was the first time a doctor working in a hospital has died from coronavirus in France to his knowledge, he told radio station RTL.

Mr Veran said he was not able to share any more information at this time.

More than 14,000 have been infected with coronavirus in France to date, with 562 reported deaths – the third highest in Europe after Italy and Spain.

The number of recovered patients stood at more than 1,500 as of Sunday.

Speaking to French radio about the doctor’s death, the health minister said he wanted to draw attention to the “extraordinary courage” that doctors, nurses, firefighters and everyone who helps save lives show every day.

France has been on lockdown since last Tuesday as the country battles the pandemic, with people only allowed outside under certain circumstances, such as to buy groceries or medicine.

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Emmanuel Macron, the president, told a crisis meeting on Friday that the country was “at the start of the crisis”.

“We have taken exceptional measures to absorb this first wave, but we’ve started a race against the virus,” he said.

Mr Macron has also said he plans to build a field hospital in the northern Alsace region, where hospitals have been “overstretched” due to rising coronavirus cases in the area, according to officials.

France has the seventh largest number of Covid-19 infections in the world, according to a tally on Sunday.