French Open allowed only 1,000 people a day, prime minister says

FILE PHOTO: French Prime Minister Jean Castex, wearing a protective face mask, attends the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

PARIS (Reuters) – The French Open will be able to welcome only 1,000 people a day, including players, staff and organisers, down from the 5,000 spectators it had hoped for, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday.

“We will apply at Roland Garros the same rules as elsewhere. We will go from 5,000 to 1,000,” he said, clarifying that those figures included players, staff and organisers.

With the coronavirus on the rise again in France, Health Minister Olivier Veran on Wednesday said that a maximum of 1,000 people would be allowed at major sports events starting on Monday, but it was unclear whether the Grand Slam tournament, which runs from Sept. 27-Oct. 11, would be included.

Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Toby Davis

source: reuters.com