The French government said on Wednesday it was re-imposing a state of health emergency to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The move, announced shortly before President Emmanuel Macron was to appear on national television to announce fresh coronavirus measures, will allow "measures proportional to the health risks to be taken", and will enter into force on Saturday, according to minutes from a cabinet meeting Wednesday.

France was facing "a health catastrophe", the minutes said.

The state of health emergency is a legal framework allowing the government to take strict measures to fight the pandemic -- such as the nationwide lockdown during the spring -- and needed to be renewed after it expired in July.