仏エッフェル塔、９か月ぶり営業再開　休業期間は戦後最長

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】仏パリの観光名所エッフェル塔が１６日、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大のため昨年１０月に休業してから約９か月ぶりに営業を再開した。休業期間は、第２次世界大戦後最長となる。（写真は仏パリのエッフェル塔）
　ソーシャル・ディスタンシング（対人距離の確保）を守るために、１日の入場者は、通常の約半分に当たる１万３０００人までに制限される。
　政府が最近発表した新規制を受けて、２１日以降は、ワクチン接種証明か検査の陰性結果の提示が必要となる。
　ドイツ・ハンブルクから訪れた母娘は、いち早くエッフェル塔に上るために２時間以上待ったという。母親は「ここに来られて嬉しい。パリが本当に大好きだから」と話した。
　エッフェル塔運営会社のジャンフランソワ・マルタン氏によると、夏季休暇期間のチケット予約状況を見ると、英国人やアジア人はほとんどおらず、米国人は１５％のみだという。
　フランス人が半分を占め、イタリア人とスペイン人が平年よりも多くの割合を占めるとみられている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/20-13:58）

The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Friday after nine months of shutdown caused by the Covid pandemic, the landmark's longest closure since World War II.
The lifts of the Iron Lady again whisked tourists to its 300-metre (1,000-foot) summit and its majestic views of the French capital as a marching band played.
It's a gift to be here -- We really love Paris, said Ila, who came from Hamburg, Germany, and waited more than two hours with her daughter Helena to be among the first to the top.
Tourism is coming back to Paris and we can again share the happiness, with visitors from around the world, of this monument and Paris, said Jean-Francois Martins, head of the tower's operating company.
Daily capacity is set to be restricted to 13,000 people, about half of the normal level, in order to respect social distancing.
And from Wednesday next week, visitors will need to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test, in line with recent government-imposed requirements as Covid cases again begin to climb.
Obviously it's an additional operational complication, but it's manageable, Martins told AFP.
Early reservations for tickets during the summer holiday period underline how the tourism industry in Paris has changed due to travel restrictions.
Martins said there was an almost total absence of British ticket holders, while only 15 percent were Americans and very few are from Asia.
Half of visitors are expected to be French, while Italians and Spanish make up a higher proportion than usual.
The long closure has caused havoc with the finances of the operating company, Sete, which runs the monument on behalf of Paris city authorities.
It is set to seek additional government aid and a fresh 60-million-euro cash injection to stay afloat, having seen its revenues fall by 75 percent to 25 million euros in 2020.
The masterpiece by architect Gustave Eiffel has also been hit by problems linked to its latest paint job, the 20th time it has been repainted since its construction in 1889.
Work was halted in February because of high levels of lead detected on the site, which poses a health risk to labourers.
Tests are still underway and painting is set to resume only in the autumn, meaning a part of the facade is obscured by scaffolding and safety nets.