There are now 54 French departments under the curfew regime.
A measure which will apply from Saturday midnight and which now concerns according to the Prime Minister "46 million of our fellow citizens".
38 additional departments are added to the map of France which must go to bed earlier.
From this weekend, all the inhabitants of the regions concerned must be returned to their homes by 9 p.m.
A decision that can be quickly reviewed by the government.
If the progression of the epidemic does not slow down, Jean Castex promises that "the measures could harden" as early as next week.