France, March 17 -- Five years ago, on 17 March 2020, France went into lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread of a new virus that came to be known as Covid-19. President Emmanuel Macron on Monday hailed France's solidarity during this period, which he and others say is crucial to remember in order to face future crises.

"France was confined, but it never stopped," Macron wrote on X Sunday to mark the fifth anniversary of his televised announcement that French people would be confined to their homes as of the next day, 17 March 2020.

France came together "in the face of the unknown, in the face of a challenge," he wrote in the long post in which he praised France's courage and solidarity, and paid homage to healthcare workers, teac...