COVID-19: Paris Set To Enter 2nd Lockdown

Paris is set to enter a strict second lockdown in attempt to slow the spike in coronavirus cases.

Emmanuel Macron‘s government has ordered bars in Paris, along with Lyon and nine other cities on ‘heightened alert’, to close at 10pm from tonight.

There is also a 10 person restriction at public gatherings with attendees at weddings and parties limited to 30.

Gyms and other indoor sporting facilities will also remain closed and it remains mandatory for all pedestrians to wear face masks in public areas in the capital.

It comes as France yesterday recorded 14,412 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 39 deaths.

The new measures introduced in Paris comes as France is seeing a squeeze on hospital.

Medics in the capital, along with Marseille, have been forced to postpone scheduled surgeries to free up space.

Patients are still facing backlogs caused by the lockdown in March and April – and more than 6,000 coronavirus patients are now being treated in French hospitals.

Macron is hoping to avoid a full lockdown across the country with the French economy already set to shrink by 8.7 per cent this year.

The French government recently announced that it would be pumping €100billion (£91billion) into the economy as part of a recovery plan.

The new regulations have striking resemblance to those introduced across the UK by Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister’s ‘Rule of Six’ limit on the number of people socialising has now been in place for two weeks.

Face masks have also been mandatory on public areas including shops and public transport.

Tough new fines for failing to self-isolate for any one with symptoms for coronavirus also come into force across parts of the UK today.

People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service.

If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at £1,000 and increasing up to £10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches.

The government has also introduced an identical 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants.

But it was recently claimed that the curfew did more harm than good.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has demanded an urgent review of the measure, saying it had merely resulted in people gathering in shops and homes.

‘I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

‘I think there needs to be an urgent review of the emerging evidence from police forces across the country.