Victor Pourcher, edited by Thibault Nadal 06:12, March 21, 2022

Since March 14, the French are no longer obliged to wear the mask indoors, except in transport and health establishments.

This measure has the effect of virtually shutting down companies that had launched in 2020 in the production of masks.

They now find themselves in great difficulty and without a response from the State.

It has now been a week since the mask is no longer compulsory in closed places, except in health establishments.

Good news for the French, less for the companies that had embarked on the production of this protection.

Their activity drops drastically and their future is uncertain.

For all French manufacturers, it's about 80% drop in activity.

Charlotte Zweibaum, quality manager at KB Medica, was surprised by the government announcements: "The fact that there, the distributors are reducing or even canceling their orders, we too will have to adjust very quickly" , she explains, before adding that this would necessarily have repercussions on the “number of employees, which will also have to be adjusted”.

From mask maker to bike maker

Another example: The French Mask.

The company launched in March 2020 has decided to completely abandon its activity.

From mask producer to bicycle manufacturer, Emmanuel Nizard, its founder, criticizes a lack of state support for the sector: "I would have preferred to be told 'you took the risk of 'buy machines and make masks, so you take this risk and you end the activity quickly', but not that we make it easy to reindustrialise, when we knew it was going to die at the end of the pandemic," he says.

Finally, in Graces, next to Guingamp, La Coop des Masques, a cooperative manufacturing masks, was placed in receivership on February 23 by the Saint-Brieuc commercial court.

>> Find Europe Matin in replay and podcast here

The professionals have obtained from the government that the public health structures obtain their supplies in France.

It is recommended for communities and private organizations.

A measure for the survival of the sector and to avoid shortages in the event of a new epidemic.