The Eiffel Tower has reopened to tourists and Paris locals on Thursday morning after a three-month closure due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
According to the Tower’s website, the 10-tonne metal landmark will emerge from its longest closure since World War II in time for the summer season, but with limited visitor numbers at first, and mandatory face masks for all over the age of 11.
Visitors will only be able to use the stairs to ensure a safe distance between people to minimise infection risk. The lifts will be available from July 1 while the top of the monument will remain off-limits to the public.
“To ensure that ascending and descending visitors do not meet in the stairs, ascent will take place from the East pillar and descent by the West pillar,” said the operator.
The top level will remain closed for now, “since the lifts taking visitors from second to top floor are small. It might reopen during the summer.”
Ground markings will be put in place to ensure people keep their distance from one another, with daily cleaning and disinfection of public spaces at the tower.
The first set of visitors will be allowed in from 10:00 am (0800 GMT), a significant moment as France begins to tentatively open up to tourism after the lockdown.
France is one of the world’s most visited countries and its tourism industry was worst hit during the lockdown intended to contain the coronavirus.