The French Capital Paris has reported to have found “minuscule traces” of the novel coronavirus in non-potable water such as the supply used for cleaning streets, but drinking water is at no risk of contamination, city administration said on Sunday.

“The Paris water authority’s laboratory detected tiny amounts of COVID-19 virus in four of 27 samples collected from around the capital, leading to an immediate shutdown of the network as a precaution,” Celia Blauel,  environmental official, city administration was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

Drinking water is supplied from a “totally independent” network and “can be consumed without any risk,” stressed Blauel, the city’s top environmental official.

Non-potable water, drawn from the Seine River and the Ourcq canal, is used to clean streets and to water the greenery in the city’s parks and gardens — currently closed to the public — as well as supplying their ornamental fountains.

“The city of Paris is consulting the regional health agency for a risk analysis before deciding how to proceed,” said Blauel.

Fatalities at France has reached  19,718 mark with 12,069 deaths in hospital and 7,649 in nursing homes, according to the Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon, reported The Local.

Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of the country addressed the nation live on Sunday night. He said, “The circulation of the virus is weak and contained.”

“I am saying this with a lot of caution; the virus is under control,” adding a cautious warning that “life will not go back to normal after May 11th,” The Local quoted him as saying.

Earlier on Monday, France extended its nationwide lockdown for another month in a bid to halt the coronavirus pandemic, as other hard-hit countries considered easing their measures with hopes rising that death rates may soon plateau.

President Emmanuel Macron had announced that the country will start its easing of lockdown restrictions from May 11 and curbs are going to be removed gradually and slowly.

France on Saturday reported 642 more deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals and nursing homes over the last 24 hours, but registered new falls in the total numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals and intensive care.

The new deaths — 364 in hospitals and 278 in nursing homes — brought the total count in the country from the epidemic to 19,323, the French health ministry said in a statement.

However in a continuation of a trend seen over the last days the number of coronavirus patients in hospital fell by 551 to 30,639. The numbers in intensive care meanwhile fell by 194 to 5,833.

France has been in lockdown since March 17 in a bid to slow the spread of the epidemic and officials have repeatedly warned it will take time for the measures to bear fruit.

Paris found ‘minuscule traces’ of Coronavirus in non-potable water, drinking water consumable without risk