Authorities distribute free masks in Paris suburb

The Paris suburb of Issy-Les-Moulineaux began distributing face masks to all of its residents on Saturday. More than 80,000 face masks were handed out.

Residents gathered at a sports hall to present paperwork showing how many people were in their household. They were given ten-minute slots to collect their masks, a system set up to promote social distancing and prevent queues.

Each person will receive two masks.

Wearing face masks will be mandatory on public transport across France from Monday when the country will come out of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The lockdown was imposed in the middle of March.

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and could lead to death.