PARIS — Residents of Nice within the French Riviera shall be denied their strolls along the beach on a sunny weekend, under a temporary local lockdown imposed to curb soaring COVID-19 infections.
Beginning on Friday evening, Nice and the surrounding coastal space shall be under weekend lockdowns for a minimum of two weeks, along with a national 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. The northern port of Dunkirk is under related restrictions.
In both places, numbers of infections have spiked and hospitals are overwhelmed, with some patients being transferred to other French areas.
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi announced on Friday a ban on the beaches and the famous Promenade des Anglais esplanade, where lots of individuals often go for a seaside stroll, to ensure the restrictions are fully respected.
“We absolutely have to avoid too big gatherings, because the weekend is expected to be summer-like and extremely attractive, Reason should prevail,” he stated in a video message posted on social media. Only essential shops will remain open, he added.
Nice reported this week a rate of almost 800 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 individuals, nearly 4 times the national average.
Estrosi has repeatedly attributed the worsening scenario in his city to the presence of “too many tourists” during end-of-year holidays, listing the UK, Scandinavia, United Arab Emirates, and Russia, which have direct flights to Nice airport.
“We at the moment are paying a very high price,” he stated. Since then, France has banned almost all travelers from outside the European Union and applied restrictions to these coming from inside the bloc.
The weekend lockdown also includes nearby coastal cities of Cannes, Antibes, and nearby Mediterranean beauty spots.
Residents will be able to go out only for essential wants such as meal shopping, medical appointments, or urgent family business. Taking exercise outside shall be allowed for a maximum of one hour per day and up to 5 kilometers (three miles) from home, the nationwide 6 p.m. curfew will apply during the week.
