French police are patrolling the River Seine looking for lockdown-breaking parties as the country struggles to loosen the pandemic’s grip.
Germany has introduced new restrictions on travellers flying into the country and Italy looks set to follow Berlin's lead.
The ripple effects are being felt across Europe after the German decision.
Epidemiologists warned France it needed to be tough, especially around Paris, where hospital intensive care beds are close to capacity.
But with spring arriving in Paris and a night-time curfew in place, the warm sun and rising temperature persuaded many to enjoy the river during the daytime.
People are not allowed to gather in groups larger than six and are asked to maintain physical distance and wear masks when outside, but there is no restriction on how long they can be outside during daylight hours.
Paris City Police superintendent Caroline Ducatillion said their role was more to educate people rather than fine them in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
Google data shows residents in the capital, the centre of a fast-spreading third wave of infections, are spending only 20 per cent more time at home than during pre-crisis times, compared with 40 per cent during the strict three-month lockdown last spring.
The data reflects the tough reality confronting President Emmanuel Macron, who is considering another round of tighter lockdown measures but also wants to keep the economy open.
“We have to limit the spread of the virus and we won’t do that with these half-measures,” said Gilles Pialoux, head of infectious diseases at Tenon Hospital in Paris.
In the French capital, there are now more Covid-19 patients in intensive care units than at the peak of the second wave in November. Critical-care wards are operating at 140 per cent of normal bed capacity.
Across the country, the vaccination programme is only now hitting its stride, with about 12 per cent of the population inoculated after three months.
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A medical staff member gestures in front of a coronavirus test station at Terminal 1 of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Germany. EPA -
Passengers wait in line to check-in for their flight at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. German tourist are set to travel to Mallorca over the Easter holiday season after the destination was taken off Germany's list of coronavirus 'risk areas.' EPA -
A medical worker holds a syringe in the Intensive Care Unit where coronavirus disease patients are treated at Cambrai hospital, France. Reuters -
People are seen at Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain. Madrid's region is closing until 9 April due to the rise of coronavirus cases and the beginning of the Easter holidays. EPA -
A woman takes a selfie as she receives a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Barcelona, Spain. AP Photo -
Pupils, parents and teachers demonstrate against distancd learning in Turin, Italy. Around 8 in 10 pupils in Italy are currently doing lessons via video calls. EPA -
Models of an agency in the wedding industry protest in Naples, Italy. For more than a year the absolute lack of events has put the sector in crisis. EPA -
Circus artists perform in front of the Duomo gothic cathedral during a demonstration by circus workers demanding more support from the Italian government, in Milan, northern Italy. AP Photo -
A pedestrian walks down an empty street after the introduction of restrictive measures in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA -
Migrants wait in garden during the vaccination in the Krnjaca refugee centre near Belgrade, Serbia. AP Photo -
A nurse administers a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Belgrade, Serbia. Reuters -
A child undergoes a coronavirus test in a special children's testing centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. EPA
In Italy, Rome is likely to impose a five-day quarantine on travellers, both residents and foreigners, arriving from other EU countries, a health ministry source said.
Much of Italy remains under tight coronavirus restrictions as it battles a deadly third wave of infections, with the whole country facing a lockdown over the three-day Easter holiday.
German police have begun enforcing the new Covid testing regimen on travellers landing in the country, including citizens arriving home.
Travellers must now show their airline a negative test result conducted no more than 48 hours before their planned arrival in Germany.
Germany introduced the rule to combat soaring cases across the country.
In Spain, health centres and chemists were trying to keep up with the demand for tests from Germans on holiday.
“The process of getting a test appointment has cost us a day of our holiday and the test several hours. It’s all quite a hassle,” Andreas, a German tourist who did not give his last name, said at the airport in Mallorca.
If people test positive, they have to remain where they are under local quarantine rules, at their own expense.
