Paris, 8 French Cities Put Under Curfew to Combat Rising COVID-19 Cases

Paris and 8 other cities in France will be put under a 9 PM-6 AM curfew to combat a new increase in coronavirus cases as European nations struggle to control outbreaks, French President Emmanuel Macron announced during a television interview on Wednesday.

He stated that starting on Saturday, the French cities of Paris, Rouen, Lille, Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Grenoble, Montpellier, Marseille and Toulouse will be put under curfew starting at 9 PM. 

"The curfew will affect close to a third of France's population, with the intention of curtailing late-night visits to private residences and restaurants. We have to act. We need to put a brake on the spread of the virus," Macron said.

"Experts at Johns Hopkins University warned the changing of the seasons from fall to winter was expected to bring about a second wave of coronavirus infections as people spend more time in smaller spaces indoors.

"The US has similarly seen a recent rise in coronavirus cases as temperatures drop and governments prepare for the concurrent flu season," The Hill reports in the article by Joseph Choi.

France has reported more than 700,000 cases and more than 32,000 deaths due to the coronavirus.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Source: The Hill