Should I cancel my trip to Paris because of coronavirus?

France was the first country in Europe to confirm a coronavirus case, back on January 24th. That initial outbreak was limited to 12 people - all but one of whom had recently travelled from China. Eleven recovered and one - an 80-year-old man - died.

There was then a pause of almost two weeks until a more serious outbreak occurred in neighbouring Italy, which has gradually spread to France until the infection toll rose to nearly 2,300 and 48 people have died.

You can find the latest information on the situation in France here.

If you do come to Paris, don't miss out on having a cheeky snog by the Eiffel Tower. Photo: AFP

At present the cases are largely concentrated in 10 'clusters' - Mulhouse in the Haut-Rhin département in eastern France, Oise in the north east, Morbihan in Brittany, two areas in Haute-Savoie in the Alps, the entire island of Corsica,the Aude département in southern France, Calvados in Normandy and eastern Montpellier.

A tenth cluster was a tour group that had travelled to Egypt, with 13 people testing positive for the virus.

MAP Which areas of France are worst affected by coronavirus?

The Île-de-France region - which includes Paris and its suburbs - has confirmed more than 500 cases, although many of those are people who actually contracted the illness elsewhere but were then moved to one of the specialist hospitals in Paris.

How has this affected daily life in the capital?

The French government has banned all public gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

This includes concerts, performances at Paris Opéra and some large sporting events. The Parish Marathon and the France v Ireland Six Nations rugby match have both been postponed until the autumn while football fixtures are going ahead but being played behind closed doors.

READ ALSO Coronavirus events ban - what has been cancelled in France?

Most Paris tourist attractions remain open but some of the larger sites including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and nearby Versailles are limiting visitor numbers. People are advised to heck with the individual attraction and buy tickets online in advance.

Disneyland Paris is closed until the end of March after three staff members tested positive for the virus.

A package of measures announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday are likely to have a more indirect effect on the capital.

All schools in France will close from Monday. The fact that many parents will have to stay home and look after their children could lead to businesses having to close or reduce their opening hours.

Macron also asked the French people to "take responsibility" and limit their social interactions as far as possible, so it is likely that bars and restaurants will be quieter than usual, although there is no ban on their opening.

The government has also advised people to avoid shaking hands and doing la bise (the distinctive French double kiss greeting) and told over 70s, disabled people and those with long term health conditions to stay at home.

READ ALSO: Bise blues - How the French are coping with the coronavirus kissing ban

Anyone in France is also advised to follow this basic health advice:

• Wash hands your thoroughly and often with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing or before eating or it you have been touching surfaces that many other people will have touched such as on the Metro
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
• Cover your nose and mouth with your elbow when coughing or sneezing
• Use disposable tissues and throw them away after use
• Clean off surfaces with alcohol- or chlorine-based disinfectants.

The Local's Ben McPartland explains to The Earful Tower podcast the latest on the situation in Paris.

Should I wear a mask when I'm in Paris?

No. The French government's advice is that only medical professionals, those who already have the virus or those who are self isolating need to wear a mask. Anyone else does not need to wear one and they do not protect against the spread of the virus.

After a spate of panic buying of masks that created shortages for those who genuinely needed them, the government has stepped in to requisition mask supplies and distribute them. Hand sanitiser gel is advised, although stocks have been running low and the government has now capped the price at €3 per 100ml.

The French government has now requisitioned masks and is distributing them to those who need them. Photo: AFP

Is there likely to be a quarantine or curfew?

At this stage no. France is currently in 'stage 2' or the pre-epidemic stage, but politicians have said for some days that a full epidemic is probably only a matter of time.

We look at exactly what that means here (and why it's less scary than it sounds). France's emergency planning laws do contain provision to declare population restrictions if the government deems it necessary, but it is not at present part of the coronavirus plan.

Instead the expected measures for stage three include extra support and funding for health professionals, financial support for people who cannot work and possible restrictions on public transport.

How dangerous is the virus anyway?

This is a new virus so at this stage there are a lot of uncertainties about it, and there is still no vaccine or confirmed cure.

However the World Health Organisation is currently putting the death toll at about 3.5 percent - so higher than for seasonal flu but still not very high.

So far in Europe the majority of the people who have died have been elderly or had underlying health issues.

READ ALSO What are the rules of self isolating and quarantine in France?

If you do decide to come, it's likely that people will be pleased to see you.

France's tourist industry took a hammering in December and over the New Year - usually one of the busiest times of the year, especially in Paris - as mass transportation strikes caused many people to stay away.

Hotels, bars and restaurants reported a significant dip in takings as Parisians decided to stay home in the evenings rather than chancing the few transport services that were still running.

The hardship came on top of a year of 'yellow vest' protests in Paris, which also put some people off from travelling to France.