Paris (AFP)

Timidly or with determination, on the ear or on the wrist, the French began to fall off the mask outside Thursday, taking advantage of the green light from the health authorities who say they are on the verge of "controlling" the Covid epidemic. 19.

"On the national territory, the epidemic is in decline, it is in the process of control", welcomed on BFMTV / RMC, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, noting a "dynamic of decline of the epidemic which s 'is accelerated ".

The epidemic continues to kill (45 deaths announced Wednesday), but contaminations are in sharp decline (3,058 new positive cases).

They recently fell below the symbolic threshold of 5,000 new daily cases.

And the minister mentioned a drop to less than 2,000 daily cases within a week, and to less than 1,000 at the end of June.

According to the calculations of epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, France could fall below the threshold of 1,000 new cases as of June 22.

In the streets of Paris, in the morning, about half of the passers-by wore the mask on their noses.

"The end of the mask (in the open air) does not mean that we can no longer wear it, if we want to wear it to protect ourselves", noted Olivier Véran.

Xavier Bertrand, candidate for re-election in Hauts-de-France, saw in this decision of the executive a "gift" from the presidential majority just before the first round of regional Sunday.

The specialists were, however, unanimous in deeming the wearing of a mask outdoors unnecessary.

The only advantage: the guarantee of always having one at hand.

"We now know that most transmissions, if not all, take place through aerosols, in closed, poorly ventilated environments," said epidemiologist Antoine Flahault this week.

- Discos this summer?

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This easing arrived earlier than expected is accompanied by an abolition of the curfew at 11:00 p.m. starting next Sunday, ten days before the date initially announced.

Recommended in the event of regroupings, the mask will remain obligatory, by decision of the prefect, in "a shopping or crowded street", in "the stands, bleachers, less than 2 meters" from each other, said Olivier Véran.

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And of course inside (cultural spaces, shops, offices or public transport), which requires everyone to keep one, preferably protected in a plastic bag rather than under the chin or the wrist, recommend the specialists.

Children can take it off in the playground but it must be kept in the classroom.

Regarding closed places, Minister Olivier Véran assured that the government "is working" on a reopening this summer of discotheques which have been completely stopped for 15 months.

The government is working with the sector on a "sanitary protocol", "a specific ventilation system" and perhaps a sanitary pass, he said.

"We will know more from June 21", the day of a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron and the professionals.

While awaiting news for revelers before the holidays, the minister warned that the epidemic "is not over" because "there are variants circulating, including the Delta variant" (formerly called the Indian variant).

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To continue the fight, Olivier Véran insisted on vaccination, "a chance for humanity".

"The sooner we vaccinate the French, the sooner we will have this level of collective immunity, and the faster we will say to ourselves: this is the past," he said.

Alongside the new target set at 35 million French people fully vaccinated at the end of August, ie half of the population (against a quarter currently), the minister launched a "solemn appeal to unvaccinated caregivers", who are "50% in the Ehpad ", saying that it is considering making vaccination compulsory if the situation does not improve.

© 2021 AFP