From an all-time high of recording over 7,000 new COVID-19 cases by the end of March, France on Wednesday recorded just 81 new cases of the novel coronavirus—its lowest daily increase since March 4.
As the country recovers from the onslaught of the deadly disease, its most iconic monument reopened to the public on Wednesday: The Eiffel Tower.
Ending a 104-day shutdown, the tower was opened for visitors after its longest-ever closure in peacetime. However, the Louvre Museum won’t be reopening until July 16.
The lifts that take visitors up the 324-metre tall tower were closed, however, and so visitors must take the stairs. Only two of the three decks have reopened so far.
The social media handle of La tour Eiffel which organises tours to the tower, released a video showing the hosts and hostesses welcoming visitors back to the iconic monument.
“My reopening marks the resumption of an exceptional human adventure. We look forward to seeing you, our reception agents tell you the best! See you soon! #tourEiffel#EiffelTower#CetEteJeVisiteLaFrance,” the tweet read.
As of Thursday, France had 161,348 cases of COVID-19 and had suffered 29,731 deaths. It is the third worst-hit country in Europe after Italy (with 34,678 deaths) and the United Kingdom (with 43,314 deaths).
