Hear our prayers - coronavirus cuts off France's Mont Saint-Michel

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the deserted Mont Saint-Michel in the French western region of Normandy, as a lockdown is imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in France, April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

MONT SAINT-MICHEL, France (Reuters) - The sound of prayer flowed around the centuries-old abbey atop the Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal islet amidst vast sandbanks off France's northwest coast, drifting down towards its deserted alleyways and past empty restaurants.

In normal times, the mount draws more than 2 million visitors a year. Now it lies empty except for 30 local residents whose restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes depend on the influx of tourists.