The French government has placed its capital Paris on maximum coronavirus alert after positive cases rose in the region. On Monday, French authorities imposed a blanket ban on all festive gatherings, including the mandatory closure of all bars.
Paris police prefect, Didier Lallement, announced that the order will be effective for at least the next two weeks. Health experts reportedly pointed out that bars in the city and its suburbs have become major infection hotpots as most patrons do not practice social distancing.
The order, which will start to take effect Tuesday this week, will still be allowing restaurants to remain open. Experts believe that restaurants in the region have at least taken the effort to enforce social distancing rules.
"We are continuously adapting to the reality of the virus. We are taking measures to slow down (its spread)," Lallement mentioned in a statement.
French restaurants will be allowed to continue operating only under strict conditions. Tables have to be placed a meter apart from each other. Only groups of six people are allowed to sit on one table instead of 10. All customers will also be required to register their names and contact numbers for contact tracing if an outbreak does occur.
Apart from forcing bars to temporarily shut down, authorities have told residents to avoid any types of festivities and family gatherings. Gyms will remain closed until further notice. Select indoor sports facilities, including swimming pools, will be allowed to remain open. However, only those over the age of 18 will be allowed to enter.
Sports events will be allowed to proceed as planned, but spectators will only be limited to about 1,000 per day. Cinemas, museums, and theaters will also be allowed to remain open, albeit with some restrictions.
The country's Regional Health Authority said that positive cases in Paris and its surrounding regions have increased to an average of about 3,500 cases per day. Around 36 percent of ICU beds in the area are now occupied. On Saturday, health authorities reported 16,972 new cases of infections in the city, the highest daily case count since the country began widespread testing. France remains to be one of the hardest-hit European countries with more than 624,000 confirmed cases and 32,299 deaths.
