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Face masks became mandatory in tourist hotspots in Paris on Monday as French authorities imposed new measures to curb a rise in coronavirus infections.
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The order covers busy outdoor areas in the French capital including the banks of the River Seine and the iconic Montmartre area in Pariss far north – although other renowned tourist hotspots such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élyseés were not listed. Anybody aged 11 faces a €135 ($159) fine if caught without a mask where one is required.
The requirement came as France along with much of Western Europe swelters in a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 F).
France is one of several European countries to have seen a spike in new Covid-19 infections over recent weeks, prompting fears of a second wave. It reported 2,288 new infections last Friday, a new post-lockdown high, with the seven-day moving average at 1,486, a level unseen since late April.
People have been required to wear face masks in all enclosed public spaces in France since July 21.
Marked uptick
The latest uptick in Covid-19 cases has been most marked in Paris but some other cities including Nice, Toulouse, Biarritz, Marseille and Lille have already ordered people to wear masks in busy outdoor areas. Several coastal towns popular with tourists – including Le Touquet in the Calais region, Saint-Malo on Brittanys northern coast, and La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast – have done the same.
Yet for some tourists braving the heat on the streets of Paris, the rules listing specific zones are not clear enough.
"We're tourists so we don't know in which zones we&Read More – Source
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