French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Monday that a lockdown imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had saved 62,000 lives in a month, but that keeping the restrictions in place would mean risking economic collapse.

Speaking in parliament, he said it's time to explain to the country how the lockdown would gradually be eased. French citizens will have to learn to live with the virus and to protect themselves, he added.

The country will need to take maximum care in unwinding a nationwide lockdown in order to reduce the risk of a second wave of coronavirus infections, the prime minister said. 

"The risk of a second wave, which would strike a weakened hospital fabric, which would impose a 're-confinement', which would ruin the efforts and sacrifices made during these eight weeks, is a serious risk, a risk that must be taken seriously," Philippe said.

France is set to end its lockdown on May 11. If the lockdown will be lifted as scheduled depends on new cases dropping below 3,000 a day, said Philippe. 

Philippe has promised that enough masks will be available for all starting May 11, saying the government had set itself the goal of carrying out at least 700,000 tests per week starting from the same day. 

There are 166,036 cases confirmed in France, with over 23,300 deaths reported, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University. 

Key points of France's measures to ease lockdown:

- Gatherings of over 10 people will remain banned after May 11 and no events with over 5,000 people allowed till September.

- Wearing masks will be compulsory in public transport and secondary schools starting May 11.

- Non-essential French retailers can re-open their doors from May 11, but they will have the right to insist that shoppers wear masks.

- Small French museums will reopen on May 11, but large ones won't.

- Paris metro will be running at 70 percent from May 11.

(With input from Reuters)