France Issues Ban on
Large Gatherings Amid
Coronavirus Outbreak In an effort to contain the current COVID-19 outbreak
in France, the country’s health minister, Olivier Véran,
has issued a ban on large gatherings. Véran made the announcement at
a press conference on March 8. The ban applies to all gatherings of more than
1,000 people and will likely have major consequences
for entertainment and sporting events. A number of exceptions to the ban will be made
in the cases of exams, public transportation
and demonstrations, as Véran called them
“useful to the life of the country.” Although a solid timeline of the ban was not
provided, it is believed to extend until April 15. France, Italy and
Germany are currently being
hit the hardest by COVID-19 in Europe. As of now, the number of coronavirus cases in
France has risen to 1,126, with 19 confirmed deaths.