Paris shuts bars to brake Covid-19 spread

Bars and cafes in Paris and its nearest suburbs, placed on maximum coronavirus alert Monday, will be shuttered for two weeks under new measures to slow the rapid spread of Covid-19 cases, officials said.

With the rate of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths accelerating months after the lifting of a nationwide lockdown, new rules to enforce social distancing will enter into force on Tuesday.

“These are braking measures because the epidemic is moving too fast,” Paris police chief Didier Lallement told journalists.

France reported nearly 17,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday alone, the highest daily number since the country began widespread testing.

For Paris, the number was about 3,500 new cases every day — with a high of nearly 6,000 recorded last Monday, said Aurelien Rousseau, director of the ARS regional health agency. (AFP | Mariëtte Le Roux / Jürgen HECKER)