The Ministry of Culture sent a message to all the public establishments under its supervision. By calling on them to "refocus" on their essential functions, museums and libraries are in fact led to close down or drastically reduce their activity.

The Ministry of Culture called on Friday all the structures under its supervision, including museums and libraries, to limit their activities or to close to the public.

>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Friday March 13

"Gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited throughout the national territory as of this Friday, March 13, and all the structures of the ministry are invited to refocus their activity around their essential functions, up to and including the closure of the structure to the public ", explains the message sent by the ministry to public establishments, which AFP was able to consult.

At the beginning of the month, the staff of the Louvre museum had exercised their right of withdrawal citing the threat of the virus. The museum had therefore closed.