France and Germany locked down amid coronavirus chaos in Europe

Two more major European nations have gone back into full lockdowns as the continent struggles with a massive increase coronavirus cases.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has put her country into another lockdown as cases spiral out of control.

France and Germany have gone back into national lockdowns as Europe struggles with a huge surge in coronavirus cases.

The number of new cases had doubled today from a week ago, while the number of people in intensive care had also doubled in the last 10 days, she said.

Germany coped relatively well with the first coronavirus wave earlier in the year but numbers have risen rapidly in recent weeks, as they had across the rest of Europe.

Just hours after the German announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new coronavirus lockdown until at least December 1, hoping to bring under control an outbreak that is poised to overwhelm hospitals in a matter of days.

He admitted that a curfew for Paris and other major cities imposed two weeks ago had failed to stop a second wave of cases that has sent the death toll in France spiralling to nearly 35,000.

“As elsewhere in Europe, we are overwhelmed by a second wave that will probably be more difficult and deadly than the first,” he said.

Its almost five million people have been told to stay at home for six weeks

Some 150,000 people scattered over three virus-hit districts in northern Portugal have also been locked down

Ireland has been forced back into lockdown

Beyond Europe, Israel, Lebanon, New Zealand and large parts of the Philippines have also had to go into a second lockdown