Parisians rush to supermarkets as restaurants orderd closed

Parisians were rushing to supermarkets on Monday after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that France is shutting down all restaurants, cafes, cinemas and retail shops that are not essential, starting from Sunday, to tackle the spread of the virus in the country.

Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and other public services including transports were allowed to remain open, he said Saturday, but Parisians are worried about a shortage of food and goods.

French authorities had already ordered this week the shutting down of all schools, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and advised people to limit their social life.

European Union leaders are set to hold Tuesday a summit via video-conference on efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, which has now infected more than 50,000 people across Europe, and claimed thousands of lives.

European Council President Charles Michel's call for the summit, to be held Tuesday, came shortly after he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Macron's office said their call allowed them to make decisions about measures to take at the external borders of the EU which will be announced in the coming hours.

No details were provided. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.