by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:45 PM ET, Fri July 16, 2021
The Eiffel Tower in Paris reopened to the public on Friday after being closed for nine months due to the coronavirus outbreak.
According to The Associated Press, visitors over the age of 18 planning a visit to the French tourist attraction must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a negative virus test or evidence they recently recovered from the illness.
Other restrictions implemented during the reopening of the Eiffel Tower include a mandatory mask policy regardless of vaccination status and capacities being limited to around half of the pre-pandemic average of 25,000 people per day.
The attraction was shut down in October as France battled another wave of coronavirus infections, but remained closed in recent months for renovations even as other top sites across the country were permitted to reopen.
"We worked, we worked, we worked (for this day)," Eiffel Tower director Patrick Branco Ruivo told The AP. "And when I saw my first visitor, I was very, very happy. Emotion and happiness."
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed the country would implement new measures aimed at warding off a fourth COVID-19 surge, including mandatory vaccinations for health workers and restrictions on restaurants and entertainment venues.
France reopened to many international tourists earlier this summer, but the entry rules vary depending on the origin country.
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