France Issues Ban on<br />Large Gatherings Amid<br />Coronavirus Outbreak In an effort to contain the current COVID-19 outbreak<br />in France, the country’s health minister, Olivier Véran,<br />has issued a ban on large gatherings. Véran made the announcement at<br />a press conference on March 8. The ban applies to all gatherings of more than<br />1,000 people and will likely have major consequences<br />for entertainment and sporting events. A number of exceptions to the ban will be made<br />in the cases of exams, public transportation<br />and demonstrations, as Véran called them<br />“useful to the life of the country.” Although a solid timeline of the ban was not<br />provided, it is believed to extend until April 15. France, Italy and<br />Germany are currently being<br />hit the hardest by COVID-19 in Europe. As of now, the number of coronavirus cases in<br />France has risen to 1,126, with 19 confirmed deaths.
