Facemask-wearing is no longer compulsory in public transportation since May 16, 2022. Yet, for the past few weeks, public authorities have been sending lots of messages: doctors and government members regularly insist on the importance of wearing a facemask in crowded or closed places such as public transportation, as well as in stores of places of entertainments.
Consequently, the health situation is not great: Covid-19 keeps on making victims every day and spreads very quickly. Over the past 24 hours, over 75,700 cases have been reported. In addition to which cases of flu and bronchiolitis, seasonal diseases, have been saturating French hospitals. To prevent total saturation of the health services, the State could be reinstating restriction measures.
In this context, French Health Minister François Braun has decided to address. The government member will host a press conference on Friday December 9, 2022, during which he will give “explanations, [to] bring news and instructions”, government spokesman Olivier Véran said.
This conference aims at addressing the eventual return of compulsory facemask-wearing in public transportation. “If contaminations were to keep on increasing, I will not shake to the idea of reinstating compulsory facemask-wearing, including in any circumstances, if we were to reach such level”, the Health Minister told BFMTV this past Sunday December 4.
After several months of recommendations and reminders, the government could eventually decide on a more authoritarian approach in order to avoid a boom in the winter viruses during the Holidays. “If you do not want us to have more deaths, put on a facemask. I believe in the French’s good will when there are explained. […] Depending on the evolution, we could be forced to make new measures”, Braun warned on C à vous set a few days ago.
