Paris: After being shutdown for more than three months due of coronavirus pandemic outbreak, on Thursday morning the Eiffel Tower finally reopened to visitors again. This streaks as the longest closure of Paris’s historical landmark since World War II.
For now the tower’s highest point is still not open, and visitors will need to take the stairs.
There have been several restrictions on the site, keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic, the stairs-only rule being only one of the many. All visitors over the age of 11, have to compulsorily wear face masks and physical distancing markers are in place.
According to the Eiffel Tower website, visitors will ascend on the Eiffel Tower’s east pillar and descend on the west pillar- to keep people from crossing paths on the stairs.
As the first guests prepared to make their way up, a band of drummers performed in the plaza at the tower’s base. The return of visitors was hailed by Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
According to government data, France has reported 161,348 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 29,731 deaths.