Paris and eight other cities in France will be put under curfew to combat a new increase in coronavirus cases as European nations struggle with how to deal with a resurgence of the highly contagious disease.
French President Emmanuel Macron said during a television interview on Wednesday 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 p.m.
The restrictions come days after France reported a single-day record in new coronavirus cases.
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. France has reported more than 700,000 cases and more than 32,000 deaths due to the coronavirus.
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 U.S. has similarly seen a recent rise in coronavirus cases as temperatures drop and governments prepare for the concurrent flu season.