Thirty-four French returnees from Wuhan, China arrive by bus to be quarantined in Branville (Calvados) on February 21, 2020.  (Photo: AFP)

Paris (People's Daily) -- French health officials on Sunday said the coronavirus (COVID-19) had claimed another three lives, bringing the death toll to 19, with 1,126 confirmed cases nationwide.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered an emergency meeting Sunday night to discuss the response to the outbreak.

After the meeting, French Health Minister Olivier Veran said that France would maintain its COVID-19 alert level at stage 2.

In efforts to stop the virus from spreading, France has banned all public gatherings consisting of more than 1,000 people.