France closes more than 100 schools due to coronavirus

France closed nearly 120 schools on Tuesday due to clusters of coronavirus infections in northern regions of the country.

© Getty Images France closes more than 100 schools due to coronavirus

An estimated 35,000 students are affected by the closures, with the possibility of more schools postponing classes in the coming days, according to The Associated Press.

The country's education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, said the virus clusters are primarily located in Brittany and regions north of Paris.

Blanquer ordered all schools to postpone trips until further notice to prevent further spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the French economic minister Bruno Le Maire urged the public on Tuesday to avoid "precautionary shopping" in grocery stores. Some store shelves in the Oise region north of Paris are cleared out of essential goods, according to the AP.

So far, France has reported 191 cases of the coronavirus, including three cases on the French Caribbean islands, and three deaths.

In the countries adjacent to France, Italy confirmed a total of 2,036 positive cases, with 1,254 stemming from Lombardy and regions around it. Germany has 165 cases, with Spain at 152, Switzerland at 42 and Belgium at eight, according to data from Johns Hopkins.