No sooner did France announce the second lockdown from Friday to tackle coronavirus cases, people in France started to spill on the roads in their cars, in a bid to escape the lockdown that will last till December 1.
A heavy traffic jam that stretched to 700 km was witnessed as people in Paris started fleeing for the countryside on Thursday evening.
As novel coronavirus cases swelled in France, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the second lockdown to put brakes on Covid-19 surge. The new restrictions which came into force on Friday will last until December 1, he said.
Many Parisians didn't wait to be confined to their typically cramped apartments for four weeks. Freeways around the capital descended into scenes of traffic chaos during the night as residents fled the capital.
Many people headed towards the country or family homes with more space. Many were also leaving for the important All Saints' Day holiday this weekend.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that authorities would be tolerant about families returning from the holidays on Monday, but otherwise, interregional travel is strictly prohibited.
The situation was also quite similar in the cities of Lyon and Bordeaux, hours before the lockdown came into effect, as reported by RT website.
