Paris (AFP)
The wearing of the mask will be compulsory "from Monday" in France in closed public places to break the signals of resumption of the epidemic, announced on Saturday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"As of Monday, wearing a mask will be compulsory in enclosed spaces, as announced by Jean Castex," said the minister in a tweet. "This concerns shops, establishments open to the public, covered markets, banks ... Barrier gestures and screening remain essential to effectively fight against the virus," he added.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday in the Senate that the decree making it compulsory to wear the mask in all closed establishments open to the public would come into force "next week".
President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 14 that the obligation to wear a mask would come into force on August 1, but the date was quickly brought forward, in the face of criticism from doctors who alerted to "weak signals" of resumption of the disease. Covid-19 epidemic and loosening of barrier measures.
At the national level, the effective reproduction rate of the virus (or "effective R", based on positive virological tests) has dropped slightly above 1 since the first week of July, and currently stands at around 1.20, according to Public Health France.
This means that each Covid-19 patient infects an average of 1.2 other people, which tends to lead to an increase in the circulation of the virus.
© 2020 AFP