(SNO) — Positive cases of the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) have jumped to 27 in Guadeloupe, latest figures from the prefecture of the island and the Agence Régionale de Santé have revealed.

Authorities on the island said on Monday there were 18 cases but by Tuesday afternoon it had rocketed to 27.

Three patients are presently in hospital with one in critical condition.

Guadeloupe is presently under lock-down under orders of French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a speech on Tuesday, he said France was at war as the country struggles to contain the deadly virus.

In France and its overseas territories, the novel coronavirus has killed 148 people and infected more than 6,600.