French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced a second national lockdown until at least the end of November. The country has reported over 1.2 million COVID-19 cases and 35,820 deaths so far.
On the same day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced that German officials have agreed to a four-week shutdown of restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters and other leisure facilities in a bid to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus infections, effective from Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Blecourt, France, October 28, 2020. /Reuters
Passengers wearing protective face masks wait for a subway train shortly before the 9 p.m. city-wide night time curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic in Paris, France, October 27, 2020. /Getty
Visitors wearing protective face masks take a selfie with the painting "Mona Lisa" at the Louvre museum during the COVID-19 pandemic in Paris, France, October 26, 2020. /Getty
German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, October 28, 2020. /Getty
People wear protective masks as they shop at an outdoor market in the Neukoelln district during the second wave of the pandemic, Berlin, Germany, October 27, 2020. /Getty