This is what life in France is like under the coronavirus lockdown

In an effort to stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country, the French government has banned all non-essential commercial activities and issued strict rules on all outside activity in all of France.

Except for grocery shopping, going to work (for those who have to), to the pharmacy or doing some brief exercise, people are to stay in their own respective homes for at least 15 days - a period that will likely be extended.

"By staying at home, you are saving lives," France's interior minister Christophe Castaner said. He reiterated the government's message that everyone must carry their part of the effort to limit spread of the coronavirus, to ease the pressure on the country's overstretched health system. The best thing you could to to serve your country, the government said, was sit on your couch and wait it out.

Outside, the visual impact of the ban was swift and impressive. Barely a week ago, the Paris' cafés, bars and restaurants still gathered crowds of people. Now, the French capital looks like an empty, ghost-like version of its former self. 

But what were really the rules? 

In the few days following the lockdown, there was much confusion as to how exactly the rules were supposed to be maintained. One thing was clear: if you left your home, you had to bring the mandatary form stating where you were going. But some of the categories were vague. Did 'physical exercise' mean you could bike or not? How far were runners allowed to run? If you lived together were you allowed to do groceries together, or dit one person have to go alone?

No one, it seemed, had the same answers and there were reports of police officers following different rules in different areas.

"We went to Lidl, set off home and got stopped by police who were satisfied with our form," Lesley wrote to us.

"Then, around the corner, we were stopped by a sour faced policeman who told us there should only be one person in the car."

"But there was lots of cars around with two people in!"

As the days passed, the rules became clearer - and slightly stricter. In some cities, like Nice, mayors have imposed evening curfews, and closed off parts of the city that still gathered crowds of people. No one was allowed to run on the Promenade des Anglais anymore.

Nice has closed off its promenade after too many eager runners and walkers used it at the same time. Photo: AFP

Skype apéros

"Restez chez vous," it seemed, meant that everyone - not just everyone else - had to stay at home.

To cope with quitting their real social life cold turkey, the French turned to social media. For many, virtual socialisation seemed to become a core part of their personal quarantine survival kit, with Skype apéros, shared film sessions and live pilates classes proliferating online. 

"Lockdown with children, rule number 1," one Twitter user wrote to the video under.

Parisians fleeing the city

Louise, a French journalist in her early 20s, said she was "definitely" talking more to friends online during the coronavirus lockdown than earlier - even people she usually didn't talk to on a regular basis.

"Everyone is checking in on each other now," she said.

Louise had jumped on a train to Lyon from Paris on the last day before the lockdown started, escaping the capital last minute together with many other other Parisians.

It was not a very popular move, with some accusing Parisians of nonchalantly dragging the virus do the countryside.

Messages like the one below flourished on Twitter:

"Coronavirus, the fear of lockdown is pushing Parisians to exodus. The bobos (bourgeois) are leaving to contaminate the countryside.. Stay at home, good grief!"

Louise said the criticism was "completely understandable.

"The fear of contaminating my family made me hesitate a lot before going," she said, adding that, before it started, the concept of lockdown had made her very stressed.

"The idea of not being able to leave my house made me very anxious," she said.

To Louise, the idea of spending the lockdown together with her parents and sisters in their home outside the city of Lyon seemed far more appealing than being alone in her apartment in Paris.

"I'm spending as much of my day outside as possible, which really helps," she said.

"Here I am lucky to have a garden and terrasse. That really helps."

'I feel like  I’m drowning in a tsunami of memes'

But not everyone had found solace in the sudden upsurge of virtual socialisation.

“I went off social media even though everyone is saying this is the most important time to be socially connected,” said Ariana, an American freelancer in her mid 20s.

"I feel like I’m drowning in a tsunami of memes," she said.

Ariana was currently staying alone in a friend’s studio in a southern suburb of Paris.

"My friends and family have my phone number and email, so we're still in touch."