A night-time curfew will be imposed on Paris and nine other French cities starting at midnight local time on Friday.
The restrictions come as France reported a record 30,621 new daily Covid-19 cases on Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the state of emergency measure on Wednesday in a bid to slow the surge.
“The aim is to reduce private contacts, which are the most dangerous contacts,” Macron said.
The curfew will last until 6 a.m. Saturday, and will then resume from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night for four weeks.
It could possibly be extended to six weeks, pending parliamentary approval.
Here’s what you need to know about the restrictions:
Where will the curfew come into force?
The curfew will apply Paris, Aix-Marseille (which hosts the two cities of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille), Grenoble, Montpellier, Toulouse, Saint Etienne, Lille and Lyon.
How will it be enforced?
People who violate the night-time curfew will be fined 135 euros (about $160) for a first offense. That rises to 1,500 euros ($1,760) if the offense is repeated, Macron said.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also said a 12,000-strong police force will enforce the curfew and people breaking the curfew will be fined up to 3,750 euros. A third violation could result in a three-month jail sentence.
Are there any exemptions?
People working, traveling for health reasons such as going to the hospital or pharmacy, catching a train or a plane after 9 p.m. or caring for loved ones will be allowed to travel during curfew — as long as they have proof of their reason.
People will need to fill out a certificate declaring their movement as they did during France’s spring lockdown.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that people will be allowed to walk their pets after 9 p.m.
On Friday morning, Castex tweeted: “The number of confirmed cases had increased by 53% in just a week – this demanded a strong response from the state and local authorities.”