Toyota factory partial reopening in France

French workers in the automotive industry are returning to their jobs this week, in a cautious move toward reviving the virus-battered economy.

In the northern town of Onnaing near Valenciennes, Toyota workers returned to work on Monday for the first time since mid-March at a plant that used to churn out more than 1,000 Yaris cars a day.

They are having their temperatures checked and given masks, and new social distancing rules are in place on the factory floor and cafeteria and other common spaces.

The Renault factories restarted its assembly lines on Tuesday in Flins, outside Paris, though only a quarter of staff is allowed into the floor.

The company has also resumed to some activity at plants in China, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and Romania, but remains halted in India, Latin America and most facilities in France, Renault's home country.

According to the John Hopkins University, France has reported more than 160,000 COVID-19 cases and 23,293 deaths.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.