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French coronavirus patients will be moved to Germany as the country is struggling to cope with a rising number of Covid-19 cases.

Hospitals in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg have offered to treat some critically ill patients from the neighboring Alsace region in France.

Four teaching hospitals and an army hospital in the south-western German state will take in 10 French patients requiring ventilation, Baden-Wuerttemberg's science and research ministry said in a statement today.

The German state is also checking with other hospitals for more spare beds in intensive care units.

Doctors in the eastern French cities of Mulhouse and Colmar have warned that the healthcare system is at breaking point.

(Image: Getty Images)

The crisis in the east of the country led the French army to transfer six patients in critical condition due to coronavirus to a military facility on Wednesday.

Theresia Bauer, the German minister for Science, Research and Art, said: "We are sending a sign of solidarity to our French neighbours."

(Image: SEBASTIEN BOZON/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

She added, however, that there were limits to the state's hospital capacity and that help would be for as long as intensive-care beds were not needed by patients in closer vicinity.

Earlier this week, the French government put its 67 million people under lockdown after an almost 20% rise in deaths and reported cases in just 24 hours, with eastern France the worst-hit region.

The self-isolation policy is to last at least days and people not following these rules risk fines from €38 (£35) up to €135 (£125), according to Euronews.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally has risen over 295,000, with more than 12,000 deaths reported.