French President Emmanuel Macron is seen as he addresses the nation about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on television screens in Paris, France, April 13, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
April 13, 2020
PARIS (Reuters) – France is going through “difficult times”, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, acknowledging that his country had not been sufficiently prepared early on to face the challenges posed by the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
“The epidemic is starting to slow down. The results are there,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation. “Thanks to your efforts, everyday we have made progress.”
“But our country was not sufficiently ready for this crisis. We will all draw all the consequences,” Macron said.
(Reporting by Michel Rose, Matthias Blamont and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Richard Lough)
