France deploys 100,000 police to enforce a 15-day lockdown

The French government announced a nationwide lockdown on Monday in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address that the citizens must stay home from midday on Tuesday for at least 15 days, calling the current situation a war.

The public are allowed to leave home only for essential professional or health reasons. France has decided to deploy 100,000 police across large cities to limit movement.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has decided to ban foreigners from entering the bloc for 30 days. The UK government ordered social distancing, calling for the public to stop social gatherings and avoid all unnecessary travel and restaurants, while the German government closed all shops except for supermarkets and banned religious gatherings. 27,980, 9,942, 7,272, 6,633 and 1,543 cases have been tested positive in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, respectively.

In the United States where confirmed cases reached 4,000, Washington D.C. and neighboring Maryland have also decided to close all restaurants and bars. Seven counties in California have banned all journeys outside the home for three weeks except for essential reasons.


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