This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, France cautiously emerged from one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns, allowing non-essential shops, factories, and other businesses to reopen for the first time in eight weeks.
With the world's fifth-highest official death toll, France re-opened schools in phases and its 67 million people could now leave home without government paperwork, although documentation was still needed for rush-hour travel around Paris.
Theatres, restaurants, and bars remained closed until at least June, as the scramble in South Korea to contain a cluster of cases linked to nightclubs highlighted the peril of new outbreaks emerging.
"Everyone's a little bit nervous. Wow! We don't know where we're headed but we're off," said Marc Mauny, a hair stylist who opened his salon in western France at the stroke of midnight.
Paris's Champs Elysees saw boutiques open their doors to the public for the first time since March 17, while metro stations handed out face-masks and sanitizer to commuters.
However, the capital's La Defense business district was largely deserted, with only 10-15% of staff expected back in their glass towers, a number expected to rise to 25% in June and 70% by September, said Marie-Celie Guillaume, head of the state agency Paris La Defence.
President Emmanuel Macron's government lifted the lockdown after the rate of infection slowed and the number of patients in intensive care fell to less than half the peak seen in April.
The virus had claimed 26,380 lives in France, and manufacturing plants could re-open providing they put safety measures in place, which for some meant not running at full capacity.
People could only travel up to 100 km (62 miles) unless for professional reasons, funerals, or caring for the sick.
Health Minister Olivier Veran said France was ready to conduct 700,000 tests per week for COVID-19 to contain its spread, but warned the government would reverse the relaxing of restrictions if infections spiked again.
