Every day counts in fight against COVID - top health official

French PM Philippe and Health Minister Veran give a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak

PARIS (Reuters) - The head of France's public health service said on Thursday that the coronavirus crisis in the country is getting worse and every day in the fight to slow the spread of infections counts.

"We're facing a very high wave (of infections)," Jerome Salomon told a news conference. "The epidemic is progressing. We must all slow the spread together."

President Emmanuel Macron imposed a new lockdown late last month, forcing non-essential shops to close, and making people use signed documents to justify being out on the streets. But the government has expressed frustration that the public is not complying with the rules as fully as in the spring.

(Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Richard Lough)