CORONAVIRUS COVID-19: The obligation to wear a mask in all enclosed public places comes into force from Monday
A fine of 135 euros is provided for in the event of a violation of the obligation to wear a mask in all enclosed public places, which comes into force from Monday, we learned on Sunday from the Directorate General of health.
Dès lundi, le port du masque sera obligatoire dans les lieux clos comme l’a annoncé @JeanCastex. Cela concerne les commerces, établissements recevant du public, marchés couverts, banques…
Gestes barrières et dépistage restent essentiels pour lutter efficacement contre le virus.— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) July 18, 2020
“Failure to comply with this measure could be liable, as is the case in other places where wearing a mask is compulsory, in particular transport, of a 4th class offense” which is defined by a fixed fine of 135 euros, said the DGS in a text sent to AFP.
From Monday, “sales stores, shopping centres, administrations, banks and covered markets” will be added to the list of places where the wearing of a mask was already planned to fight against Covid-19, details the DGS. Meeting and performance rooms, cinemas, restaurants, hotels, games rooms, educational establishments, holiday centers, libraries, places of worship, indoor sports establishments, museums, train stations and airports were indeed already concerned “sometimes with specific rules, ”she recalls.
“Weak signals” of recovery
President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 14 that the obligation to wear a mask would come into force on August 1, but the date was quickly brought forward, in the face of criticism from doctors who warned of “weak signals” of resumption of the epidemic and the relaxation of barrier measures. “The health situation in France (excluding Mayotte and Guyana which are still suffering from the first wave), after several weeks of decline and stabilization of the epidemic, shows signs of a slight deterioration, but still uncertain”, summarizes the DGS.
“Everyone’s vigilance is more than ever necessary to avoid an epidemic rebound,” she adds. Another factor that justifies this decision: the “uncertainties” about the transmission of the virus in the air.
The subject “was the subject of a letter to WHO on July 6 signed by 239 scientists from 32 countries, who notably shared their observations on the frequency of contamination and clusters in closed environments, particularly in case of air circulation, and even in the absence of direct projection ”, indicates the DGS.
