First confirmed casesEdit

On 24 January, the first COVID-19 case in France – and Europe – was confirmed in Bordeaux. A 48-year-old French citizen from China, who arrived in France on 22 January, was hospitalised at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux. Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente took charge and the patient was isolated in the hospital. The authorities tried to confirm whether he had infected people who were in contact with him.^[10]

Two more cases were confirmed in Paris by the end of the day, both of them recently returned from China.^[4][11][12] A 31-year-old man and his 30-year-old partner, both from Wuhan, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were hospitalised at Bichat–Claude Bernard Hospital. They had arrived in France on 18 January.

On 28 January, an 80-year-old Chinese tourist from Hubei Province tested positive and was hospitalised at Bichat–Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris.^[5]

On 29 January, his 50-year-old daughter tested positive as well and was admitted to the same hospital where her father was treated.^[13]

On 30 January, a doctor was confirmed positive for COVID-19 in Paris. He came into contact with a Chinese tourist whose contamination was confirmed when she returned to China.^[14]

On 14 February, the 80-year-old Chinese tourist died in Bichat–Claude Bernard Hospital, marking the first death from COVID-19 in Europe and France. It was also the first death from COVID-19 which occurred outside of Asia.^[6]

From 31 January to 9 February, nearly 550 people were repatriated from Wuhan on a series of evacuation flights arriving at Creil Air Base in Oise and Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in Istres.^[15]