Paris (AFP)

Life will return to almost normal with the end of the obligation to wear a mask outside on Thursday and the lifting of the curfew from Sunday, thanks to a faster than expected improvement in the health situation.

From June 20 at 6 a.m., the French will thus be able to go out without restriction for the first time since the establishment eight months ago of the first curfew to deal with the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.

This release comes ten days before the scheduled date of June 30 because "the situation is improving faster than we had hoped", announced Prime Minister Jean Castex in a statement at the end of the Council of Ministers.

Outside, however, it will be necessary to continue to wear it "when we gather together and when we are in a crowded place, in a queue, in a market or in the stands of a stadium", according to the Prime Minister. .

France is thus following the example of several European countries, such as Belgium, while others, including Germany and Spain, are moving towards a gradual lifting of the wearing of masks.

Many experts agree on the fact that this precaution is "not of much interest" in effectively fighting the virus, according to epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, while insisting on the importance of respecting basic barrier gestures such as hand washing or social distancing.

"It did not make sense to keep it outside and continue to risk fines when you walk alone in the street," commented Michèle Legeas, professor at the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health, to the 'AFP.

- "Continue, continue" to vaccinate -

France was also one of the last countries to maintain a curfew with Italy and Greece.

But calls for it to rise have multiplied in recent days, especially since the controversial exemption granted by the government to Roland Garros so that the semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal can end in the presence of spectators.

The obligation to return home at 11 p.m. was also less and less respected, as shown by the gatherings on Monday evening to celebrate the victory of France over Germany at the Euro football.

Jean Castex warned that lifting the curfew would not prevent the maintenance of health protocols for public places and for the music festival next Monday.

The wild concerts causing crowds on the public highway "will not be accepted, he warned.

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By making these announcements four days before the departmental and regional elections, which promise to be difficult for the majority, the Prime Minister defended the merits of the crisis exit strategy announced at the end of April, and that "some found too fast and not fairly cautious ".

He was thus pleased that contaminations had fallen to 3,200 daily cases on average over 7 days - at the lowest since August 2020 - and that less than 2,000 people were hospitalized in intensive care units.

This clear improvement is explained, according to him, by "the mobilization of the French" but also by the "success of the vaccination campaign" with more than 30 million people having received a first dose.

We must "continue, continue, continue to vaccinate ourselves", insisted Jean Castex, setting three objectives for the end of August: 40 million first-time vaccinated, 35 million fully vaccinated and 85% of over 50s and adults with comorbidities who received a first dose.

The arrival of adolescents in vaccination centers has given a boost since 41% of appointments (105,000 out of 260,000) taken on Tuesday were for minors, Doctolib said on Wednesday.

If the health situation is improving overall, the government remains "particularly vigilant" in Guyana and deploys "additional resources" to accelerate vaccination, while the incidence rate rose to 292 per 100,000 inhabitants on June 15.

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