100 nudists test positive for coronavirus after outbreak at French resort
There has been a large outbreak of coronavirus at a nudist colony in France, with some 100 people testing positive.
French regional health authorities said the situation at the Cap d’Agde resort was ‘very worrying’.
A spokesman for the Hérault Prefecture said: ‘We are in an alarming situation, therefore we ask that all the people of the village be tested before leaving the place and going elsewhere.
‘And we also ask all the people who wish to come to this naturist village to postpone their arrival.’
Cap d’Agde is one of the most famous nudist colonies in Europe, welcoming around 35,000 visitors every summer.
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The naturist beach is around a mile long, and is bordered by restaurants and bars.
Informal rules require nudity of all visitors, include those who use attached campsites, flats and villas.
Rates of infection are now four times that of nearby communities.
There were 57 positive tests on site last Wednesday alone, and others have found they have the disease when they have got home.
At least two infected people work at prestigious hotels in the Cap d’Agde, said the Prefecture spokesman.
This has led to an emergency announcement by officials from the department which covers Cap d’Agde, which is on the Mediterranean coast, near Montpellier.
The Naturist Village at Cap d’Agde markets itself as a family resort, although there have been high-profile incidents of so-called swingers and libertines visiting too.
The outbreak of Covid-19 at Cap d’Agde comes as France reports almost 4,900 new Coronavirus cases over 24 hours, its highest figure since May.
Olivier Veran, the Health Minister, acknowledged on Sunday there were ‘many risks’ in the surging infection rate.
There have been 30,518 Coronavirus related deaths in France since the start of the pandemic in March. This is the third highest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy.
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