Daily US Times: President Emmanuel Macron of France has announced a night-time curfew in Paris and eight other cities including Toulouse, Grenoble, Montpellier, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Saint-Etienne, Rouen, to try to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus.
The measure from 21:00 to 06:00 – will last for at least four weeks and come into effect from Saturday, Mr Macron said in a televised interview.
A public health emergency for the citizens has also been declared. The curfew will affect around 22 million people and it will be applied for four weeks to begin with and Mr Macron’s government will seek to extend it to six.
Meanwhile, Germany announced that restaurants and bars in higher-risk areas must close early.
On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced tightened restrictions as Germany recorded more than 5,000 new infections for the first time since April.
In areas where infections exceed 50 per 100,000 inhabitants, restaurants and bars must close their doors by 23:00. Private gatherings will be limited to 10 people from two households.
Governments across Europe are introducing new restrictions to battle a second wave of infections.
A partial lockdown has come into force in the Netherlands and restaurants and cafes are closing.
Spain’s north-eastern region of Catalonia said earlier that bars and restaurants would close for 15 days from Thursday.
The Czech Republic has also shut schools and bars. The country has the highest rate of infection in Europe over the past two weeks, at 581.3 cases per 100,000 people.
The government of Ireland announced a ban on household visits from Thursday night, but visits on compassionate grounds and childcare will still be allowed.
You may read: Europe tightens coronavirus measures amid sharp rise in cases