French President Emmanuel Macron has announced an overnight police checkpoint in Paris and eight other cities in a bid to stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
Measure: From 21:00 to 6:00 there will be a lockdown (quarantine), starting from Saturday.
"This measure will last for at least four weeks," Macron said in a television interview.
A public health emergency has also been declared.
Germany, meanwhile, announced that bars and restaurants in high-risk areas should be closed early.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the tightening restrictions on Wednesday, as the country registered more than 5,000 new infections for the first time since April.
On Thursday, that number rose again, with 6,638 cases recorded - the highest daily figure since the pandemic began.
Under the new rules, areas where infections exceed 50 per 100,000 inhabitants, bars and restaurants must close their doors by 23:00. Private meetings will be limited to 10 people from two families.
Across Europe, governments are imposing new restrictions to fight a second wave of infections.
A partial blockade has entered into force in the Netherlands and cafes and restaurants are closing.
Earlier, Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia said bars and restaurants would be closed for 15 days, starting on Thursday.
The Czech Republic has closed schools and bars. It has the highest infection rate in Europe in the last two weeks, with 581.3 cases per 100,000 people.
The Irish government announced a ban on home visits from Thursday.
What are the new measures in France?
The above-mentioned measure will be implemented in Paris and its surroundings as well as Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Saint-Etienne, Rouen, Toulouse, Grenoble and Montpellier.
Affecting about 22 million people, it will be applied initially for four weeks.
"The measures will stop people from visiting restaurants and private homes during the evening and night," Macron explained.
"Residents will need a valid reason to be out of their homes during curfew hours," the president said, adding that he understood that a "curfew" was a "difficult" thing to do. asking people to do.
Essential trips will be allowed. Anyone who violates the curfew will be fined € 135.
Schools will remain open and people will still be able to travel between regions during the day.
Moreover, no more than six people will be allowed to gather inside private homes, although exceptions will be made for large families, Macron explained.
Businesses suffering financially due to the new measures will be able to receive state aid, he said, adding that a second blockade across the country would be "disproportionate".
"The message I want to send this evening is that I need each of you, we need each other, to find solutions," the president said. "We will go through this together."
Source: BBC News
