A month-long lockdown has been imposed on Paris and parts of the north by the French Government, following the spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants.

Prime Minister Jean Castex stated that France was tackling a third wave, as the variant first detected in Britain now accounting for around 75% of the cases. Intensive care wards were strained, particularly in Paris where the incidence rate crossed 400 infections in every 100,000 people. The country recorded 35,000 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday and there were more COVID patients in intensive care in Paris than at the peak of the second wave. The lockdown starts from Friday at midnight. Barbers, clothing stores and furniture shops will remain closed, while bookstores and others selling essential goods can remain open… (Reuters, March 18, 2021)