The reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral will continue from Monday

Paris - The reconstruction of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was severely damaged by a fire more than a year ago, will continue from Monday. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, repairs to the Gothic cathedral were halted in mid-March. Now workers are expected to gradually return to the construction site, reported the AFP agency.

According to the former chief of staff of the French army, Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was tasked by President Emmanuel Macron to oversee the cathedral's reconstruction, the restoration of construction activity will be divided into three phases. During May, the number of people on the construction site will gradually increase.

Georgelin assured that he ensured all measures that are in place in France due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are being followed on site, including maintaining distance between people and increased hygiene. Protective masks and hand sanitizer dispensers will be available at the construction site.

One of the first things workers will complete upon returning to the site will be a decontamination unit. This needs to be built due to the lead that was released into the surrounding area during the fire. In the next phase, work will continue on removing the scaffolding around the cathedral, which was deformed by the fire, as well as building other scaffolding from which the large cathedral organ will later be dismantled.

The cathedral caught fire on the evening of April 15 last year. Before firefighters extinguished it the following morning, the fire destroyed the roof, the framework, and a spire from the 19th century. The fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit or a poorly extinguished cigarette butt. According to investigators, the cathedral was not intentionally set on fire by anyone.

President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his commitment a week ago on the anniversary of the fire, stating that he would do everything possible to have the Gothic cathedral repaired within five years of its destruction, by 2024.