France must do everything to avoid a new coronavirus lockdown as pressure on hospitals grows, Prime Minister Jean Castex said as the country reported more than 26,000 new cases.

The French government has so far resisted pressure from some health experts to impose a new, third lockdown in the face of rising case numbers, Reuters reported.

“We have to use all weapons available to avoid a lockdown. I’ve never hid it, let’s vaccinate, protect ourselves, get tested,” Castex said in an interview on website Twitch.

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