France bans gatherings of more than 1,000 people due to coronavirus concerns
It's going to have a huge impact on the country's nightlife scene
In a bid to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, France has banned any public gatherings with more than 1,000 people in attendance, decreasing the limit from the former 5,000.
The implications for the country's music scene don't look good. Concrete Paris's Brice Coudert expressed frustration with this move, tweeting: "French scene RIP".
At the time of writing (09/03/20), France has 1,116 cases of coronavirus and 19 deaths.
Meanwhile in Italy, the entire country will be placed under lockdown from Tuesday, as part of a decree by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti.
A host of international music events have been cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19, including Get Lost Miami, SXSW, Miami's Ultra, Tomorrowland Winter in France and Beat Hotel Morrocco, while there are growing concerns that Coachella may be called off.
The UK Government, meanwhile, continues to assert that large gatherings and events should go ahead as planned.
You can track the spread of COVID-19 and find the latest statistics through this interactive map.
