Around one lakh police and gendarmes have been put on duty in France to ensure
enforcement of coronavirus restrictions and prevent vandalism of
public property which is usual in the country on the occasion of new year’s eve, Local France reported.

“The priority in the next few days must be to fight against unauthorised public gatherings and the phenomenon of urban violence,” the Local France cited Interior minister Gérald Darmanin saying in a message to local authorities on December 28th.

Keeping the festive motif in mind, small gatherings are allowed in people’s homes, but anything in a commercial venue is banned, and guests will have to leave four hours before midnight to comply with the nationwide curfew that runs from 8 pm to 6 am.

According to BBC, the officials have been directed to halt underground parties after the prescribed time limit and fine the organisers as well as the attendees.

While the number of police personnel deployed is same as last year’s but they are burdened with a new responsibility of checking and imposing COVID-19 curbs.

Meanwhile, France on Tuesday recorded 11,395 new COVID-19 infections, more than double the government’s daily target to ease restrictions, 5,000

On Sunday, the country launched its vaccination drive, with elderly residents in care homes being the first in the country to receive the Pfizer-BionTech jab.