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'We need to be in the sun': Parisians ignore advice to stay home amid coronavirus worries

People stroll along the Seine river banks at sunset Sunday March 15, 2020 in Paris.  (AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)
People sit along the banks of the River Seine in Paris despite government advice to practise social distancing. (AP)

Thousands of Parisians appeared to ignore the French government's advice to maintain safe distances between each other as they came out to bask in the spring sunshine on Sunday.

The day after prime minister Édouard Philippe announced strict measures to limit social interaction, shutting down cafes, bars and restaurants to curb the spread of the coronavirus, people mingled in the capital’s streets and along the banks of the River Seine.

Couples, families with children and groups of friends played on the grass near the Louvre Museum, one of the few green spaces left after parks around Paris closed.

Philippe’s measures were announced after cases of the illness in France doubled in 72 hours, bringing the death toll to 127.

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Schools, creches and universities are closed from Monday, making some students anxious about what to do with the free time.

People stroll along the Seine river banks at sunset Sunday March 15, 2020 in Paris. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)
People enjoy the Seine sunset on Sunday. (AP)

"Our schedules have become completely shattered because we have no more classes and we have two to three weeks added to our school holidays," 19-year-old Anouk Laplace told Reuters news agency.

“How do you make the most out of this time – what do we do with all this time? Do we just stay home? I don't think that's what it means.

People enjoy a sunny Sunday on the Seine river banks after France's Prime Minister announced to close most all non-indispensable locations, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops as France grapples with an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Paris, France, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
People on the banks on the Seine on Sunday. (Reuters)

“I think it's just a break, after all, that's happening to us, and then we go back to doing things, and see what's important to us.”

Images from Sunday show families with young children, teenagers and joggers congregating in their droves in Paris, window shopping and riding bicycles.

“I think for those of us who live in Paris, who don't really have a garden, who don't really have outdoor activities, we need to be in the sun, especially today [when] the weather is great,” said Maia Cochet, also a student.

People enjoy a sunny sunday on the Seine river banks after France's Prime Minister announced to close most all non-indispensable locations, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops as France grapples with an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Paris, France, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
People enjoy the sun on the Seine riverbanks on Sunday. (Reuters)
Europe Virus Outbreak - France will be on lockdown in Paris, France on March 14, 2020. France Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announce from Paris on the French TV channels that the all country France will be tomorrow on a sweeping lockdown to try to slow down the spread of coronavirus epidemic. France Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (Photo by Pierre Teyssot/ESPA/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA)
Prime minister Édouard Philippe announces sweeping restrictions to try to slow down the spread of coronavirus. (AP)

“We need to keep ourselves busy. And we're taking precautions – washing our hands, not taking public transport too much – and we keep a distance from each other. We're flatmates, so we can still be together. By being careful, we can still live as we like, and enjoy."

Read more: UK government dismisses other nations' 'popularist' response to pandemic

Despite the restrictions, the French government went ahead with the first round of municipal elections on Sunday, but turnout was down compared with local elections in 2014.

"We went and voted, following instructions to keep a distance,” Cochet told Reuters.

“We are however disappointed and shocked that Tuileries park and certainly Luxembourg park are closed today.”

People walk outside a closed cafe Sunday March 15, 2020 in Paris. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that France is shutting down all restaurants, cafes, cinemas and non-essential retail shops, starting Sunday, to combat the accelerated spread of the virus in the country. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)
Chairs stacked against the windows of a closed cafe on Sunday in Paris. (Reuters)

President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address last week that the outbreak is France’s biggest public health crisis in a century.

Macron urged employers to let staff work from home, and said elderly people and those with health conditions should stay indoors.

"This epidemic... is the most grave public health crisis that France has known in a century," he said.

"Despite the efforts to slow it down, the virus continues to spread and is accelerating."