Paris and other parts of France went into a month-long lockdown at midnight on Friday in a bid to limit what the French authorities believe is an increasingly likely third wave of coronavirus infections.
The measures, which Prime Minister Jean Castex said would not be as stringent as France’s earlier lockdown, will affect some 21 million people in 16 areas of the country.
The lockdown came as France recorded more than 35 000 new infections in 24 hours.
The BBC quotes Health Minister Olivier Veran as saying that the situation in Paris is particularly worrying, with 1 200 people in intensive care in the capital, more than at the peak of the second wave in November.
Under the new measures, non-essential businesses will be forced to close but schools will remain open. People will be allowed to exercise outdoors within 10km of home and are not allowed to travel to other parts of the country unless they have a valid reason. Those in the affected areas will have to fill out a form to explain why they have left their homes.
Meanwhile, France has resumed vaccinating using the AstraZeneca jab following the European Medicines Agency’s announcement that it was fit for use.
France had suspended the jab after a number of cases in Europe of blood clots developing after the vaccine was administered. A survey conducted just as the suspension was announced found that only 20% of the French have confidence in AstraZeneca.