People, wearing a protective face mask, walk on the Promenade des Anglais, after France reopened its beaches to the public, in Nice, France, on May 16, 2020. (Reuters)

Coronavirus

French region around Nice imposes partial weekend COVID-19 lockdown

France

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Reuters, Paris

Published: 22 February ,2021: 03:34 PM GST Updated: 22 February ,2021: 03:41 PM GST

The Alpes-Maritimes region, around Nice in the South of France, on Monday announced a partial lockdown over the next two weekends in the coastal area between Menton and Theoule to fight a surge in coronavirus infections.

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Local government official Bernard Gonzalez said the situation in Alpes-Maritimes had “sharply deteriorated” and a vaccination campaign would be accelerated.

The mayor of the French city of Nice called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to stop the flow of visitors, saying tourists are welcome in normal times, but the city needs to focus on battling a sharp spike in coronavirus infections.

The Nice area has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in France, with 740 new cases per week per 100,000 residents, according to Covidtracker.fr, triple the national average.

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