Polling stations in France opened at 8:00 am (0700 GMT) on Sunday for nationwide local elections, defying a mounting health crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak that still risks keeping many voters at home. Some 47.7 million people are registered to vote in some 35,000 municipalities, as France imposed fresh restrictions to try to curb the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of non-essential public places such as cafes, restaurants, cinemas and gyms. Polling stations will remain open until 1700 GMT, 1800 GMT and 1900 GMT respectively, depending on the municipality, and a second round is scheduled to be held on March 22. jk/sp/spm/fox