In pictures: Paris streets remain busy despite partial lockdown

Bars and restaurants were full in Paris on Saturday night as France announced they would close from midnight to try and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Revellers shared the news but kept ordering food and drink, determined to enjoy themselves until the last minute.

The next day brought warm sunshine and, despite the new restrictions, the streets of Paris were still very busy.

Euronews photographer Natalia Liubchenkova captured the scene.

A lot of restaurants and cafes were shut from Sunday, while others were selling snacks, crepes, ice cream or burgers from their windows.

Lots of bakeries remained open. One of them, looking especially popular, asked people to keep one-metre apart, a difficult demand to follow in such a tight space. After a while tape was stuck on the floor to help customers.

One of the coffee businesses shut its spacious venue for customers but kept selling take away coffees. The owners said, however, they plan to shut their doors soon and use the time out of business to organise their affairs.

A line to a popular ice cream seller at Cite stretched for some distance along the street.

Riverbanks along the Seine were as busy as the streets of Montmartre. Street performances were popular among spectators.

McDonald's around the city shut their doors but placed online orders on window sills for delivery drivers to pick up.

Some small business owners remained in their establishments, receiving visits from acquaintances, sometimes sharing a drink inside, sometimes discussing the situation on the doorstep with friends looking to cheer them up.