French Health Minister Olivier Veran gives a news briefing after a defence council meeting with the French President at the Elysee Palace in Paris on March 8, 2020 | Pascal Rossignol/AFP via Getty Images France bans gatherings of 1,000 people to contain coronavirus The number of deaths in France from coronavirus has risen to 19.

The French government agreed to ban public events with 1,000 people or more as part of its efforts to stall the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Olivier Véran said Sunday.

"All gatherings of more than 1,000 people are now prohibited," said Véran after a meeting of the national defense council.

However, authorities will draft a list of events that will be exempt from the ban, including mass transit and various competitions, Véran added.

As of Sunday evening, France reported 1,126 confirmed coronavirus cases, including three in the national parliament.

Earlier Sunday, Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn called for events with over 1,000 participants to be banned, although the power to implement such restrictions lies with local authorities. Meanwhile, an effective quarantine across swaths of northern Italy has been put into effect.

Authors: