The TV grab shows French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (L) delivering a speech in Paris, France, on March 14, 2020. With the COVID-19 confirmed actively spreading across the country, France entered "stage 3" of its epidemic response plan, which means it is now at highest epidemic alert at national level, announced Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon on Saturday evening. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, March 14  -- With the coronavirus confirmed actively spreading across the country, France entered "stage 3" of its epidemic response plan, which means the country is now at highest epidemic alert at national level, announced Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon on Saturday evening.

As of Saturday, France has confirmed 4,500 cases of coronavirus infection, "twice as much as 72 hours previously", 91 people died and 300 patients are now hospitalized in intensive care, said Salomon.