French lockdown slashes economic activity by 35 percent

Business closures and self-confinement imposed by French authorities to limit the coronavirus threat has cut economic activity by about 35 percent overall, statistics office Insee said Thursday, in its first attempt to gauge the financial impact of the crisis.
The lockdown in place since March 17 is widely expected to be extended into April, and the government has pledged 45 billion euros ($49 billion) in loan guarantees and other relief for firms.
Insee said a one-month lockdown could slash annual gross domestic product by three percentage points, but cautioned that it lacked sufficient data to provide a firm estimate on French economic growth in the coming months.