Image Source: Euronews

Agencies:

700 kms long traffic jam as people in Paris flee France ahead of Coronavirus lockdown

New Delhi
October 31, 2020

As France announced a country-wide lockdown beginning Friday, people in Paris started fleeing for the countryside on Thursday evening, causing logjams that stretched for 435 miles (700 kilometres) at one point.

There was only a sprinkling of people hurrying along city sidewalks on Friday as the nationwide restrictions came into effect, news agency The Associated Press reported.

As novel coronavirus cases swelled in France, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the second lockdown to put brakes on Covid-19 surge. The new restrictions which came into force on Friday will last until December 1, he said.

In France, concerns were growing that rising infections would swamp the country's health system, so authorities ordered another four-week lockdown beginning Friday.

Many areas of the French capital resembled a regular lazy weekend morning - on what would normally have been a bustling weekday. Those who were out frequently clutched permission forms proving they had an exemption that allowed them to to be on streets.

The only places that were busy were grocery stores and markets as people stockpiled food and other necessities.