French government says there is "no coronavirus epidemic" in France "There is still no epidemic in France," government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye tells journalists. It comes after the country's Health Ministry confirmed that a 60-year-old teacher had become the first French casualty of the nouvel coronavirus. France has reported four other new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours -- two in people returning from hard-hit Italy -- bringing the total number of infections to 17. SOUNDBITE