French local authorities follow Paris in imposing daytime jogging ban
Other local authorities have followed Paris in introducing even stricter new rules on physical exercise during the coronavirus lockdown in an attempt to keep crowds to a minimum.
From Wednesday, April 8th, people can no longer allowed to leave their homes for the purposes of physical exercise between 10am and 7pm.
In a joint press release from Mayor Anne Hidalgo and city police chief Didier Lallement sent out on Tuesday, it was announced that anyone wanting to go for a run or other individual exercise would have to do so before 10am or after 7pm at night - "when the streets are generally at their quietest". Exercising between those hours is now forbidden.
"Going for a run is good for the health, but not so good for lockdown," Hidalgo told France Info.
Just hours after the announcement of the Paris rule, five départements in the greater Paris area announced that they would be following suit.
The départements of Val-de-Marne, Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines and Hauts-de-Seine will now apply the same rule as in Paris.
Authorities in Seine-Saint-Denis and Essonne - the other two départements that make up the greater Paris Île-de-France region - have so far not announced new restrictions.
Paris' deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire then clarified that the rules apply only to people jogging or taking other exercise, not to dog walkers or people taking a short walk with members of their household.
"Feedback from our services and the police from on the ground is clear and consistent," said Gregoire.
"There are too many people out at the same time and too many joggers at peak times. Nothing is perfect: the aim is to limit risks by limiting overcrowding rather than a general ban.".
"We are banning jogging during the day not leaving the house," said Gregoire.
"Children must, exceptionally, be able to leave the home a little during the day, the same for animals. The objective is to avoid peaks (of joggers) at the end of the morning and in the afternoon."
Non vous n’etes pas perdu vous avez bien compris. On interdit le jogging en journée pas les sorties... les enfants doivent pouvoir exceptionnellement pouvoir sortir un peu en journée. Idem sortie des animaux. L’objectif est d’éviter les pics de fin de matinée et après-midi.
— Emmanuel GREGOIRE (@egregoire) April 7, 2020
READ ALSO What are the rules of lockdown in France?
Exercise is one of the accepted reasons for leaving the home during lockdown, but the rules have become progressively more strict since the measure was first announced on March 17th.
People are now only permitted to exercise outside the home once a day, for one hour and are not allowed to venture more than 1km from their home.
Is Paris right to ban jogging during daytime hours?
Authorities say it is to help fight spread of coronavirus by avoiding too many people being outside at same time. Share your views. https://t.co/q5QTtgj4Dg
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) April 7, 2020
Cycling for exercise is banned altogether - although cycling to work or the supermarket is still allowed - and all group sports such as football are banned.
Paris has also banned access to certain areas such as the walkways along the Seine and the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne.
Hidalgo and Lallement say that the new measure is aimed at avoiding more people on the streets as the weather gets warmer.
Their statement said: "We salute the efforts made by the inhabitants of the capital to give this period of lockdown its full effectiveness in terms of health.
"The first positive effects of this measure are now being felt in hospitals. However, they remain under great strain. Any form of relaxation would therefore jeopardise the collective efforts made so far.
"The Mayor of Paris and the Prefect of Police salute the civic-mindedness and responsibility of Parisians and wish to avoid any risk of a relaxation of the containment measures by an increase in the number of people in the public space, thanks to fine weather."
The pair said stressed to the public that every trip outside the house that can be avoided helps the fight against the epidemic.
"It is through responsibility, self-regulation and collective discipline that Parisians will best help healthcare workers in their fight to save those who are sick," the statement read.
Paris is not the only local authority to take extra measures - many places have introduced nighttime curfews and several towns plan to make wearing masks compulsory in the coming days.
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From Wednesday, April 8th, people can no longer allowed to leave their homes for the purposes of physical exercise between 10am and 7pm.
In a joint press release from Mayor Anne Hidalgo and city police chief Didier Lallement sent out on Tuesday, it was announced that anyone wanting to go for a run or other individual exercise would have to do so before 10am or after 7pm at night - "when the streets are generally at their quietest". Exercising between those hours is now forbidden.
"Going for a run is good for the health, but not so good for lockdown," Hidalgo told France Info.
Just hours after the announcement of the Paris rule, five départements in the greater Paris area announced that they would be following suit.
The départements of Val-de-Marne, Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines and Hauts-de-Seine will now apply the same rule as in Paris.
Authorities in Seine-Saint-Denis and Essonne - the other two départements that make up the greater Paris Île-de-France region - have so far not announced new restrictions.
Paris' deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire then clarified that the rules apply only to people jogging or taking other exercise, not to dog walkers or people taking a short walk with members of their household.
"Feedback from our services and the police from on the ground is clear and consistent," said Gregoire.
"There are too many people out at the same time and too many joggers at peak times. Nothing is perfect: the aim is to limit risks by limiting overcrowding rather than a general ban.".
"We are banning jogging during the day not leaving the house," said Gregoire.
"Children must, exceptionally, be able to leave the home a little during the day, the same for animals. The objective is to avoid peaks (of joggers) at the end of the morning and in the afternoon."
Non vous n’etes pas perdu vous avez bien compris. On interdit le jogging en journée pas les sorties... les enfants doivent pouvoir exceptionnellement pouvoir sortir un peu en journée. Idem sortie des animaux. L’objectif est d’éviter les pics de fin de matinée et après-midi.
— Emmanuel GREGOIRE (@egregoire) April 7, 2020
READ ALSO What are the rules of lockdown in France?
Exercise is one of the accepted reasons for leaving the home during lockdown, but the rules have become progressively more strict since the measure was first announced on March 17th.
People are now only permitted to exercise outside the home once a day, for one hour and are not allowed to venture more than 1km from their home.
Is Paris right to ban jogging during daytime hours?
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) April 7, 2020
Authorities say it is to help fight spread of coronavirus by avoiding too many people being outside at same time. Share your views. https://t.co/q5QTtgj4Dg
Cycling for exercise is banned altogether - although cycling to work or the supermarket is still allowed - and all group sports such as football are banned.
Paris has also banned access to certain areas such as the walkways along the Seine and the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne.
Hidalgo and Lallement say that the new measure is aimed at avoiding more people on the streets as the weather gets warmer.
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