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Face masks are now mandatory in all closed public spaces, including shops
France has made face masks mandatory in all closed public spaces amid a new Covid-19 outbreak outbreak.
The masks were already mandatory on public transport, but as of Monday they should also be used in places like shops.
Health Minister Oliver Véran warned that France had “400 to 500 active groups” of the virus.
President Emmanuel Macron declared a “first victory” over the virus in June and ended the national state of emergency, but local outbreaks persist.
There are an increasing number of cases in the northwest and in the eastern regions, particularly in the northwest department of Mayenne.
France, one of the most affected countries in Europe, has registered more than 200,000 infections and more than 30,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
What’s going on in France?
Face masks are now mandatory in all closed public spaces, including stores where previous owners could decide for themselves whether customers should wear covers or not. Anyone caught without a mask faces a € 135 fine (£ 123; $ 154).
Authorities in Mayenne began calling for mandatory mask restrictions last week as cases skyrocketed in the department.
Public health agency Santé Publique France issued a warning to Mayenne after exceeding the alert threshold of 50 new cases per 100,000 residents in one week. Across France as a whole, that figure is about 10 per 100,000 inhabitants.
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Other regions are also worrying authorities. Brittany in north-western France has a breeding number of 2.6, which means that each infected person transmits the virus to almost three more. The eastern department of Vosges is also experiencing an increase in cases, while the R number in Marseille and Nice is at 1.55.
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Veran plans to travel to Mayenne later on Monday. Although the country is “very far” from a second wave, he told France Info radio that there were “worrying signs of an epidemic resumption.”
“We must remain vigilant,” he said, noting that people had grown tired of the restrictions and wanted to return to normal life. “All options are on the table” if local outbreaks worsen, he added, including regional blockades or even the return of national restrictions.
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In general, the outbreak is widely controlled throughout France. But several public health officials have warned of a possible second wave, and the government has begun storing hundreds of millions of masks.
How about elsewhere in Europe?
Although countries had relaxed restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the virus, many across the continent have been forced to impose local blockades or even take national action as infections have risen again.
The northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia has asked millions of its citizens to stay at home, with new cases threatening to overwhelm local health systems.
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French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the country could close its border with Spain due to the increasing number of local outbreaks.
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Cases soar in the Balkans
Infections are also increasing in the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina reported nearly 300 new cases on Sunday, and several politicians have fallen ill with the virus, including former President Dragan Covic and the prime ministers of its two entities, the Federation and the Republika Srpska.
Serbia, Albania and Montenegro also report large increases in confirmed cases. Montenegro currently has around 195 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest number in the region.
