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France is offering Covid-19 tests to nearly 1.3million people in the Paris region in a bid to detect hidden clusters of coronavirus infections, Health Minister Olivier Véran announced.

Health authorities will send out coupons that people in the Ile de France can exchange for a test, whether they are showing any symptoms or not, he said in an interview with Le Monde. The tests will be voluntary.

“The aim is to identify any sleeping clusters, that’s to say invisible concentrations of asymptomatic people,� Mr Veran said.

"We are at the experimental stage to see if this corresponds to a wish of the French. This experiment can then be extended to other regions," he added.

The minister said France is also preparing for a possible second wave, by restocking medicines and making plans to be able to treat 30,000 people in intensive care if necessary.