The new four-week lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in France is expected to reduce economic activity by about 15%, a Finance Ministry source said on Tuesday.
"We expect a much more moderate impact than that (the lockdown) of April, notably in France," the source said.
While the April lockdown cut business activity by some 30%, the impact this time would "more around 15%," the source added.
Health authorities reported 52,518 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.
In Paris, one person was becoming infected with COVID-19 every 30 seconds, while a Parisian is admitted to hospital with the disease every 15 minutes, Health Minister Olivier Veran told RTL radio.
France imposed a nightly curfew on two-thirds of its 67 million people in the second half of October but this was lifted when President Emmanuel Macron ordered a second lockdown, albeit less rigid than the first, which took effect on Oct. 30.
