PARIS, May 2 (AFP) - France has decided to extend a "state of health emergency" imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic for two months until July 24, Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Saturday.

A proposal to be put to parliament on Monday said the planned lifting this month of the emergency, which began on March 24, would "be premature" and "could see a risk of the outbreak" intensifying.

More than 24,500 people have died of the Covid-19 disease so far in France. The country is preparing to ease restrictions on May 11 following a strict nationwide lockdown, which was imposed on March 17.

In an address marking international Labour Day on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the exit from lockdown would not signal a return to “normal life”.

"There will be a recovery that will need to be reorganised," Macron said. "There will be several phases and May 11 will be one of them.”