France enforces curfew to curb soaring COVID-19 infection rate

The streets of nine French cities including Paris became empty on Saturday night as the government enforced a new curfew aimed to curb the soaring COVID-19 infection rate in France. 

France has been considered as one of the coronavirus hotspots in Europe. 

Restaurant owners in France have been complaining since their businesses are already suffering after the two-month lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, reports BBC.

France reported a record number of new cases of the virus on Saturday - a rise of 32,427, the health ministry said. A day earlier the country recorded 25,086 new infections.

Meanwhile, France’s neighbouring country Italy is also expected to announce new measures to curb the rise in coronavirus cases. 

Italy was the first European country to be hit significantly by Covid in the first wave. The country had registered a record number of new daily cases on Saturday.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to announce fresh restrictions on Sunday.

The new rules could target non-essential activities including gyms, pools and amateur sporting events, reports BBC quoting local media.