Pandemic at the disco: the COVID outbreak that began in a French bar

The Hacienda bar in this French seaside resort was heaving with Saturday night revellers: a crowd of people, beer glasses and smartphones in hand, moving to the sounds of pop and hip-hop music as red and blue strobe lights flashed.

The scenes in the bar in northwest France in mid-July were captured in mobile phone footage. Reuters could not independently verify the video, but health officials said the dancing that evening breached hygiene rules and one person present described it as too full.