Curfew at 6 p.m. during the week and now "a lot of PlayStation" at weekends: to curb the coronavirus epidemic, Nice and Dunkirk are inaugurating on Saturday a new variant of health restrictions, confinement on Saturdays and Sundays, which watches other large cities and departments if the situation deteriorates.
In Nice, the emblematic Promenade des Anglais and the Jean Médecin shopping avenue, almost deserted, gave the appearance of a ghost town to the fifth city in France and the inhabitants interviewed by AFP show themselves to be resigned.
"If we have to go through this so that we can have a little more freedom afterwards, why not?
“, Admits Frédérique Duval, 51, quickly came to get some fresh air on the seaside on this chilly morning.
"Something must be done, it is increasing in the region", also admits Charlie Kentish, a 56-year-old English cook, long established on the French Riviera, and who is preparing to "play a lot on the PlayStation" with her three boys aged 15 to 19.
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On the entire coast of the Alpes-Maritimes and, at the other end of the country, throughout the urban community of Dunkirk, travel not justified by an exceptional reason is prohibited and it is again necessary to bring a certificate to walk one hour, within a maximum radius of 5 km.
Only so-called essential shops will be open, a list which now includes bookstores, added by decree.