Ghost rush hour in Paris hours ahead of French virus lockdown
Traffic was sparse on the Left Bank and in the city centre, and pedestrians, some wearing facemasks, were rare on the usually bustling footpaths.
Most shops were shuttered, though supermarkets, still open, were doing a brisk trade.
From midday (1100 GMT) people will be allowed to leave their homes only when strictly necessary, under Italian-style measures announced in a televized address by President Emmanuel Macron late on Monday.
The move came as the numbers of infections and deaths continued to tick up sharply, with more than 1,000 new confirmed cases by Monday evening bringing the countries total to 6,633, and 148 deaths.
"We are at war," Macron told the nation in his address.
The Interior Ministry's website, where a form to be filled in every time you leave your house was available for download, was barely accessible in the morning, apparently overwhelmed by demand.
The one-page document requires you to give your identity and tick one of five permissible reasons for being on the streets.
They include work needs that cannot be performed remotely, shopping for basic necessities, health needs, taking care of children or vulnerable relatives.
Short outings near the home for individual exercise or to allow pets to perform their needs are also allowed.
"SAVE LIVES - STAY AT HOME," Macron posted on his Twitter account later on Monday.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has said 100,000 police and gendarmes will be deployed to enforce the movement ban with fixed and mobile checkpoints, with violators subject to a 38-euro (42-dollar) on-fine that could be increased to 135 euros.
With many businesses forced to close, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said the goverment was making 45 billion euros (50.2 billion dollars) available in immediate aid for companies and workers.
Le Maire told RTL radio he is adopting a provisional forecast of minus 1 per cent economic growth for 2020 for the purpose of a mini-budget to be proposed to the government later on Tuesday.
"This is a first, immediate economic aid," Le Maire said. "But everyone must understand that while there's a war against the virus, there is also an economic and financial war."
"There will be a violent shock," he warned. "But we have... every ability to bounce back if we take the right decisions now."
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus meanwhile said it was pausing manufacturing at its sites in France and Spain for four days in response to the coronavirus crisis.
"This will allow sufficient time to implement stringent health and safety conditions in terms of hygiene, cleaning and self-distancing, while improving the efficiency of operations under the new working conditions," Airbus said in a statement.
