As facemasks are mandatory in many cities in France, the city of Paris has decided to implement mandatory facemasks from August 10 in several highly frequented areas. On August 15, Paris mayor and the prefecture have extended the areas concerned to other neighborhoods such as the Champs-Elysées and the Batignolles.
Even though some people are still struggling to find their bearings and some health specialists require facemasks to be mandatory in the city of lights, others wonder if wearing a facemask or cover might be soon mandatory everywhere in Paris.
In a press conference on August 27, Prime Minister Jean Castex gave a few leads. Thus, as he was answering a journalist, Castex said he was in talks with the Paris city hall to "extend the obligation of facemasks" in the capital. "Of course, we also consider implementing to inner suburbs of Paris given commutes between these areas" the Prime Minister added. As of now, only several crowded areas are concerned by mandatory facemasks in outdoor places. As for facemasks to be worn everywhere, they will be mandatory from Friday August 28, at 8 a.m.
On August 17, 2020 on BFM Paris, Anne Hidalgo’s deputy mayor for care Anne Souyris said that “nothing is impossible”.
“It is vital that in packed areas, Parisians and tourists wear a facemask. And it is still not the case. Ultimately, if they do not get it, we will have to make it mandatory everywhere” she stated.
Because of the unclear situation of the measure and lack of instructions on the streets and areas concerned, Anne Souyris announced the situation was being cleared. “We have officers who went everywhere, we are displaying posters everywhere where it is the case and we have maximized the areas so that the packed areas be easy to understand” Anne Souyris went on.
Furthermore, Anne Hidalgo’s deputy mayor for care explains that right now, priority remains pedagogy and not verbalization in case of not wearing a facemask. “We thought that until September, we will have to be highly educational” she said “when people really do it voluntarily, there can be a fine. But when they are just careless, distracted or wrongly wearing the mask, talking prevails” Anne Souyris added.
