Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory from Monday in transport in France. This relief marks the disappearance of the last major anti-Covid restriction in a context of health calm.
Until now, wearing a mask was compulsory in subways, buses, trains, planes and taxis.
This is the end of the last major marker of the Covid-19 epidemic in the public space. This decision confirms the fact that the disease has become a lesser health and political concern, more than two years following the arrival of the pandemic in Europe.
In total, more than 147,000 people were killed by Covid-19 in France, a country where 79.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated. For the past few weeks, contaminations and hospitalizations linked to Covid have finally been decreasing following a very long winter wave.
In this context, the government had already taken several emblematic measures in recent months: end in March of wearing a mask, except in transport, and end of the vaccination pass, which required being vaccinated once morest Covid to access many places. such as restaurants and cinemas.
However, some researchers warn once morest an excessive feeling of security, warning that the epidemic is under control but probably not over, especially in the face of the threat of a new variant.
The government therefore maintains a cautious tone, via the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran: he repeated last week that the pandemic was “not over”, that wearing a mask remained “recommended” and that it might become mandatory if the context requires it.
France’s neighbors have already lifted most of their anti-Covid restrictions. Generally only remains the wearing of the mask in certain places.
Italy keeps the mask
Spain, for example, still imposes it in health establishments, retirement homes and transport, while in Belgium it is only compulsory in transport and in the medical sector.
It is now in Italy that the mask remains the most widespread. In addition to the places mentioned above, Italy still imposes it in cinemas, theaters and concert halls, in schools, on shop staff and on administrative agents who are in contact with the public.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / blg / afp / belga
