PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Jean Castex said there would be no easing for at least two weeks of the country’s second COVID-19 lockdown, with the number of people in hospital with coronavirus now higher than at the peak of the first wave.As officials across Europe warned against COVID-19 complacency following this week’s announcement by Pfizer of a potentially effective vaccine, Castex said his government intended to intensify policing of the lockdown in Paris. “It would be irresponsible to soften the lockdown now,” the prime minister told a news conference on Thursday. “The gains are fragile.” Shortly after Castex spoke, French health authorities said the number of people hospitalised with the disease increased by 737 to reach an all-time high of 32,638, almost 350 higher than the previous April 14 peak of 32,292. And the number of COVID-19 fatalities rose by 425, to 42,960, meaning the seven-day moving average, at 560, was beyond the 500-threshold for the fourth day in a row, a level last seen during the first lockdown in the second half of April.