French prosecutors are looking into claims that ministers and wealthy individuals have flouted coronavirus rules by attending secret parties during lockdowns.

The investigation follows an exposé by TV channel M6 on Friday on exclusive high-end clandestine dinners in Paris, where preventive measures are disregarded by guests and staff alike.

Restaurants, cafes and bars in France have been closed for in-person dining since the second lockdown in late October 2020. The disruption follows a nearly three-month shutdown during the first wave of coronavirus infections in spring.

The reportage was broadcast as France was readying to enter its third nationwide lockdown, which came into force on Saturday, amid a fresh surge in cases that authorities fear could overwhelm hospitals.

In undercover footage, the reporter walks into what she referred to as a "posh restaurant" inside a residential building in one of the nicer Parisian neighborhoods. The address is only known by a "privileged few," and at the door, credentials are required to get in.

Inside, a la carte menus start from 160 euros ($189) and can set diners back as much as 490 euros ($579) for a meal featuring lobster and foie gras prepared by a chef who is "close to celebrities."

A waiter in a black suit and white gloves was recorded on tape saying that "people who come here take off the masks."

"Once you step in, there's no more COVID-19," the man said.

The report also shows clips it says were filmed secretly at a special dinner party in another Paris location, where attendees rubbed elbows without observing social distancing or wearing masks. Some, faces blurred and champagne glasses in hand, are shown greeting each other with la bise – a double kiss on the cheek that is common in the country.

Allegations of politicians and affluent revelers dining, wining and socializing with abandon and no respect for government guidelines proved unpalatable for the public, with the hashtags #OnVeutLesNoms (We want the names) and #MangeonsLesRiches (Let's eat the rich) gaining traction on Twitter.

Authorities have also taken note of the damning accusations, with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeting on Sunday that he's ordered a probe into the claims with the goal of "prosecuting organizers and participants" in these gatherings, if they indeed took place.

Darmanin told local media that the restrictions enacted in response to the public health emergency apply to everyone. In France, "we don't have two types of citizen: those with a right to party and those who don't," he said in an attempt to address public anger at the elite's non-compliance with the rules.

The television report interviewed the organizer of the private soirée, where entrance costs 220 euros per head, who said that such dinners are "general practice." The identity of the interviewee was kept anonymous and their voice was distorted.

"I've dined in two or three restaurants this week, so-called clandestine restaurants, with a certain number of ministers," the source said, adding, "We are still in a democracy; we can do whatever we like." But internet sleuths quickly identified the mystery party planner as Pierre-Jean Chalencon, a Paris-based collector, passionate Napoleon Bonaparte fan and owner of the mansion Palais Vivienne where the dinner is thought to have been held.

Chalencon retracted his comments in a statement to AFP and claimed that he was only joking. His about-face prompted M6 to air the full interview without concealing his voice and saying that his tone did not reflect humor.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said that "all ministers, without exception, are respecting the rules and no-one among them thinks they have some sort of special pass."

Those involved in the upscale gatherings can be held liable if found to have violated COVID-19 requirements. The M6 reports that organizers risk one year behind bars and 15,000 euros in fines for endangering other people's lives, while guests can face two penalties, each worth 135 euros, for violating the curfew and not wearing a mask.

France last week took the tough decision of imposing a third lockdown as infections climb again and intensive care units come under strain. Non-essential businesses have been shuttered, so have schools, and people are only allowed to travel within a 10-kilometer radius from home with inter-regional travel banned. A curfew between 7 p.m and 6 a.m. now applies nationwide.