Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the United States isn’t the only country dealing with fallout from coronavirus-induced restrictions and lockdowns.
New aerial footage from Paris, France shows massive traffic jams throughout the city as Parisians attempt to flee the city before a second wave of nationwide lockdowns are enforced.
Citizens in France are clearly just as fed up with the restrictions and lockdowns as Americans are.
Anti-lockdown protesters have even begun to gather in defiance.
BBC News has the story:
Traffic around Paris hit record levels just hours before a new national lockdown came into force across France.
Jams stretched to a cumulative 430 miles (700 km) in the Ile-de-France region early on Thursday evening, local media reported.
Lockdown measures came into force at midnight on Friday (23:00 GMT) to tackle spiralling Covid infections.
People have been ordered to stay at home except for essential work or medical reasons.
President Emmanuel Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first".
Daily Covid-19 deaths in France are at the highest level since April, and on Thursday, authorities reported 47,637 new cases and 250 new deaths.
French media report that many Parisians have left the city - and their often cramped apartments - to spend lockdown in the countryside.
The New York Post has more on the mass exodus from Paris:
A 430-mile traffic jam clogged up Paris Thursday night just hours before the city was placed under a new lockdown amid a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases.
The second nationwide lockdown went into effect at midnight, allowing 65 million people to leave their homes only for food shopping, medical appointments and work until Dec. 1.
Only schools and essential businesses will remain open as the country battles another surge in coronavirus infections — the highest since April.
The latest lockdown appeared to send Parisians fleeing the city to the countryside, BBC News reported, citing French media.
Protesters have taken to the streets in defiance of the lockdown orders.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!