Last night the 29th October, thousands fled the city for the countryside or attempted to get back to Paris ahead of the imminent national lockdown that went into place at 12pm.
Traffic monitoring website, Sytadin, displayed the record breaking traffic jam which was 438 miles long. Not only did people infiltrate the roads but other forms of public transport were inundated also, especially Gare Du Lyon train station.
Many took to social media platforms such as Twitter to report on the shocking matter, with one particular user sharing an aerial video anchored by the caption: ‘the exodus from Paris’.
L’exode de Paris pic.twitter.com/9Ue2QzovMJ
— Peter Yeung (@ptr_yeung) October 29, 2020
This frenzy comes as France enters a new four-week lockdown in an effort to bring down the rising number of Coronavirus cases and ease pressure on hospitals. According to the BBC, daily Covid-19 deaths in France are at the highest level since April, with 47,637 new cases and 250 new deaths on Thursday.
Under the measures, people will no longer be able to leave their homes unless for essential work, essential items or medical reasons. Schools will continue to remain open, but non-essential businesses such as bars and restaurants will close.
If you want to escape traffic scenes like this check out this modified Hummer which beats traffic!
