Portraits of nurses, doctors and other essential workers are being projected in front of the Eiffel Tower as a tribute to those facing additional risks during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hair salons, clothes shops, florists and bookshops in Paris will open again on May 11. Bars, restaurants, theaters and cinemas remain closed. Primary schools will take small numbers of pupils, depending on space. Masks will be obligatory on public transport.

Millions in France and Spain are set to embrace a relaxation of stay-at-home rules on May 11. However, there are fears of a second wave in the pandemic which has already killed more than 280,000 people worldwide and wrecked the global economy.