The government's flip-flop on wearing a mask

• At the start of the crisis, the executive assured that the widespread use of masks was not useful or even "counterproductive".
• France has now changed its position, "encouraging" the general public to wear masks of all types in order to limit the spread of Codiv-19.

Turn around, any? In recent days, the government has made a 180-degree shift in the use of masks to fight the coronavirus. Until last week, the executive hammered that these protective equipment should be reserved for caregivers and the sick, deeming them useless on uninfected people. France has now changed its position, "encouraging" the general public to wear masks of all types.

The “alternative” mask, first qualified as “counterproductive” or useless

This change in doctrine appears all the more disconcerting that at the start of the crisis, the executive kept repeating that the massive use of masks was not necessary. "There is no need for a mask when you respect the protective distance from others," said Sibeth Ndiaye on March 25. On the same day, however, Emmanuel Macron visited the Mulhouse field hospital, with FFP2 equipment on his face. The government spokeswoman also estimated a few days earlier that the mask could be "counterproductive" if misused.

A message repeated within the government. "Today as tomorrow, an asymptomatic person [without symptoms] who goes to public places, who travels by public transport, does not have to wear a mask ... it is not necessary", also said the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on February 26.

Sibeth Ndiaye: "The French will not be able to buy a mask in pharmacies, because it is not necessary if you are not sick" pic.twitter.com/42hj1HYxvC

Just last Wednesday, Edouard Philippe remained skeptical about the massive use of masks. “There is no evidence that wearing a mask in the population would bring any benefit. It would even be quite the opposite, because of misuse, "said the Prime Minister to the parliamentary fact-finding mission, citing the World Health Organization.

"Wearing a mask, in the general population in the street, it is useless"

Edouard Philippe on March 13. # Covid_19 # ConfinementJour21 # COVID19 pic.twitter.com/p7yGg86SIJ

A change in doctrine linked to scientific evolution?

The executive continues today to prioritize the allocation of surgical masks (or FFP2) to health personnel. But his discourse on other types of protection (textile masks, homemade or DIY) has evolved. "We encourage the general public, if they wish, to wear [...] these alternative masks that are being produced," said general manager of health Jérôme Salomon on Friday evening.

A change of foot linked to a change in scientific discourse? This same Friday, the Academy of Medicine thus recommended "that the wearing of a" general public "mask, also called" alternative ", be made mandatory for the necessary outings during confinement period". In Asia, where the use of masks is valued, health authorities have been alerting western states for several months to implement this practice.

These calls, and the hypothesis (still not confirmed) according to which the virus could be transmitted by air, seems to have led to an evolution of doctrine in several countries, as in the United States. Some states and regions of Italy have even made it mandatory to wear a mask for travel. In France, the city of Nice indicated on Monday that it wanted to implement this measure next week.

For the government, the change in tone could also be linked to the uncertainty of the coming deconfinement. "Being able to have other means of protecting the population when the containment is lifted, with full awareness of the population, it makes sense," acknowledged Olivier Véran this Saturday in an interview with online media Gross.

"We should have been clearer", the opposition is shouting "lies"

"Wearing a mask limits postillonage, so it's better to wear it, it's common sense," points out Annie Chapelier, MP for Gard and nurse in Nîmes. “The government's speech was not consistent. We should have been clearer: reserve surgical masks for caregivers, but recommend the others to the entire population from the start, ”added the elected member of the LREM group to the Assembly. "We had to say from the start that we did not have enough masks and that we would distribute them sparingly, rather than saying that they were useless," said the boss of the senators a few days ago LREM, François Patriat.

The opposition used this vagueness to question the executive, like Eric Ciotti on Monday. “The government, it is clear, from January (…) did not tell the truth, estimated the deputy LR of the Alpes-Maritimes. He should have said that we don't have these masks rather than spreading messages that were wrong. "

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• Coronavirus
• Covid 19
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