Jean Castex, interministerial delegate for Paris 2024, has been appointed to the country's Ministry of Health to study scenarios to end the containment of coronavirus in France ©Getty Images

Jean Castex, the interministerial delegate for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, has been appointed to France's Ministry of Health to study containment scenarios related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The appointment of Castex to the Ministry of Health was announced yesterday by French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.

As part of his new post, Castex has been instructed to study scenarios that could end the containment phase of the coronavirus pandemic within France.

Philippe did not specify the length of Castex's assignment to the Ministry of Health, meaning it is unclear whether this ended Castex's post as interministerial delegate for Paris 2024 or whether it is just on hold, reports L'Équipe.

President of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet welcomed Jean Castex's new assignment to France's Ministry of Health ©Getty Images
President of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet welcomed Jean Castex's new assignment to France's Ministry of Health ©Getty Images

Speaking about Castex's new assignment, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said: "It is a good thing that his skills are being used to serve the urgency of this humanitarian crisis."

Castex, 54, who was appointed President of the country's National Sports Agency last year, has served as Mayor of Prades, a commune in the south of France, since 2008.

His previous Governmental roles include serving as deputy secretary general of the Presidency of the Republic in 2011 and 2012 under Nicolas Sarkozy.

There have been more than 64,000 reported cases of coronavirus in France, with more than 6,000 fatalities.