The French government will make the first distributions of masks to the general public to the French from May 4 and is studying several modes of distribution, said Secretary of State for the Economy Agnès Pannier-Runacher in an interview with Les Echos to be published on Friday.
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"First experiments will be done from May 4"
"The State will contribute to providing citizens with masks for the general public as soon as possible through the most suitable distribution channels. Initial experiments will be carried out from May 4," explains Agnès Pannier-Runacher. "Several distribution methods have been identified to allow as many French people as possible to access them. The field of possibilities is very wide and we are looking at all the hypotheses: pharmacists, town halls, mass distribution, tobacconists, Afnor platform, e-commerce , etc. ", she adds.
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Over "10 million masks produced last week"
However, "it remains to decide questions: how to avoid a phenomenon of overstocking by some at the risk of causing local supply disruptions? How to rely on local authorities?" Wonders the Secretary of State, specifying that these questions will be arbitrated within the framework of the deconfinement plan. For the time being, the government has "initiated a chain of manufacturing masks for the general public in textiles, most often washable and reusable", she underlines, affirming that production reached more than 10 million masks last week. .
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Price controls? "This is not news"
"And the supply, through French production and imports, will increase rapidly to exceed 25 million washable masks per week at the end of April". Asked about the advisability of regulating the selling prices of these masks, the secretary of state said that "this is not topical".