Parisian restaurants, bars, and cafes will be reopening this week, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced. However, tables must be placed outside and spaced much further apart than usual. No customers may be served indoors.
France24 notes that Paris' restaurateurs have been severely impacted by the coronavirus crisis, losing around 80% of their turnover in the last two months.
In order to make it easier for eateries to accommodate their customers, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that establishments would be allowed to extend their outdoor areas beyond their storefronts. "Paris has to stand in solidarity with our restaurants and bars," Hidalgo told local paper Le Parisien on Sunday. "They are the soul of our city."