Paris (AFP)

Wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory for the public in places where entry is subject to the health pass, unless the local epidemic situation requires it, Minister of Health Olivier Véran said on Tuesday.

"Where there is the anti-Covid-19 health pass, people" will be able to remove the mask ", because" that means that we are sure that all the people who return are completely vaccinated or have a very recent test which is negative ”, declared Mr. Véran on RTL, before the start of the examination of the law in Parliament during the day.

When the health pass comes into force, "you will no longer have to wear the mask" in these places, "except against the orders of the prefects in the departments depending on the epidemic situation", he continued. .

However, unlike the public who access them, employees who work in these places will have to keep the mask for now, said the Ministry of Labor.

"Wearing a mask remains the rule in business. As the pass is mandatory from August 30 for employees (places subject to the pass), it is not planned for the moment to remove it for these employees," said the Ministry.

The end of the obligation to wear a mask in places subject to the health pass appears in a decree published on Tuesday in the Official Journal.

"The obligations to wear a mask (...) are not applicable to people who have accessed establishments, places and events" subject to the health pass, provides the text.

"The wearing of a mask can however be made compulsory by the prefect of the department when the local circumstances justify it, as well as by the operator or the organizer", adds however the decree.

"It will change things. It will improve the daily life of the French little by little," commented Mr. Véran.

The bill extending the health pass will begin its way to Parliament on Tuesday before a possible adoption at the end of the week.

In particular, it provides for the extension of the health pass (proving complete vaccination, a recent negative test or immunization), in particular to cafes, restaurants and trains from the beginning of August.

In addition, the health pass must now be presented in a number of places welcoming at least 50 people, against 1,000 previously (theaters, games, sports or museums), according to the decree.

These hardening measures were announced on July 12 by Emmanuel Macron due to the worsening of the epidemic situation due to the Delta variant.

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