Paris, Jul 6 (IANS): The iconic Louvre museum in Paris reopened on Monday after its closure nearly four months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Masks are compulsory, a one-way system is in place and numbers of visitors will be controlled, reports the BBC.

There will also be a spaced queue to view Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting.

Some 10 million people come to what is thought to be the world's most visited museum each year, the majority from abroad.

But with tourism crippled by the ongoing pandemic and the European Union only opening its external borders for 15 nations so far, staff at the museum fear visitor numbers could drop hugely.

The museum closed on March 13 and has reportedly lost 40 million euros ($45 million) in revenue since then.

Also on Monday morning, Parisian tour guides protested outside the Louvre, saying the government had not done enough to help people who work in the tourism industry.

France lifted travel restrictions at European borders on June 15.

The other French icon, the Eiffel Tower, reopened on June 25 after a three-month closure, the longest since World War Two.

As of Monday, France has reported a total of 204,222 COVID-19 cases, with 29,896 deaths.