Paris streets sit silent as France goes under lockdown

Streets that are usually bustling with tourists lay dormant

The light and airy days of spring are usually incredibly fruitful for the shopkeepers, restaurateurs, cafe owners and artists of Paris, but the outbreak of COVID-19 has put pay to that, for now at least. We travelled to the French capital late last week, at which point tourists still occupied the city's streets and squares. Less than 48 hours later those same streets were almost completely empty, barring a few stragglers and artists looking to make some money before the lockdown commenced. This is what a major city looks like when a pandemic breaks out. The footsteps will return again but for now, Paris lays dormant.