Parisians vacate city ahead of COVID-19 lockdown

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - As a lockdown came into force in Paris at noon on Tuesday, city dwellers fled for the countryside in hopes that an open-air environment may prove safer than a cramped urban one during the coronavirus pandemic.

In an address to the nation on Monday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens to stay indoors as much as possible for the next 15 days.

He said they should only consider leaving the house for medical reasons, for food supplies, to care for a child or the vulnerable, to exercise or walk pets, or if they cannot work remotely and have to be present at their place of work.

On Tuesday, passengers clutching bags and some wearing masks stood staring at train arrival and departure boards at France's main train stations, such as Paris Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, and Gare de Lyon.

"Few people and a lot of protective masks at Gare de Lyon this afternoon. Before that very few people in the RER B and on the street," tweeted one traveler, Martin Bodrero, who boarded a train at Gare de Lyon.

COVID-19 has become a tangible threat in France over the last week, with authorities raising the emergency preparedness level to the highest mark, closing borders, and imposing a two-week lockdown.

The lockdown is being enforced by around 100,000 police personnel and violators are facing fines as high as €135 ($148).

The measures were implemented in light of the worrying figures seen in France over the past week.

On Sunday, March 8, the number of cases countrywide was 706 and there were only 16 deaths; in just nine days, the total cases have risen to 6,633 and the death toll stands at 148, according to government data.