After announcing a 15-day lockdown for the entire country to contend with the coronavirus outbreak, the French government enacted a policy that mandates French citizens stay inside their homes unless they have official documentation stating a reason to be outside.
French President Emmanuel said on Tuesday the paperwork was necessary after French citizens refused to stay inside. "We are at war," said Macron repeatedly during a speech on Tuesday.
All French citizens, from Paris to Marseille, are required to download and fill out a form with their name, birthday, and reason for going outside. If persons are caught outside without the form, police throughout the country have been authorized to levy fines as punishment. The system is similar to the one instituted in Italy.
"People are out and about because they have to be, but they have to prove it to the police," said Jim Bittermann, CNN's senior international correspondent. "There are 130 checkpoints in Paris alone."
On Monday, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said more than 100,000 officers would be disbursed throughout the country in an effort to enforce the new restrictions. Castaner told people to "stay at home" and added that the fines for abusing the restriction would range between $90 to $150 (up to 135 euros).
"Yellow Vest" protests, which emerged because of a fuel tax rise in 2018 and have raged since, continued this weekend as thousands turned out in Paris only a day after Castaner banned public gatherings of more than 100 people.
In the United States, President Trump recommended people not gather in groups of more than 10 and suggested the virus could linger until late summer. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide and has infected more than 180,000.
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