As coronavirus spreads, France bans large public gatherings nationwide

Olivier Véran.
(Image credit: Pascal Rossignol/AFP via Getty Images)

With 1,126 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in France, the government has now banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

"The priority is to do all we can to slow the transmission of the virus," Health Minister Olivier Véran said Sunday. The prohibition does not apply to political demonstrations, public transportation, or school exams, Reuters reports. Last week, the government banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people in coronavirus hotspots, but this new rule affects the entire country.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.