France to consider no outdoor masks from July

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - Masks may not be obligatory outdoors in France from next month when most of the health restrictions will be lifted, the country's top health official said Monday.

France is set to enforce the last stage of deconfinement this month. On June 30, the current curfew of 11 p.m. will be lifted completely and all private and public places will be allowed to function without restrictions of timing or crowd capacity.

Speaking to RTL Radio news, Jerome Salomon, director general of health, appealed to the French public for a little more patience before heading outdoors this summer.

“If all goes well, we will lift a certain number of constraints on June 30, if the conditions allow,” he said.

He added that indoors and in confined spaces masks will remain mandatory as “there are a lot more risks,” however, they will no longer be mandatory outdoors from July 1.

In large gatherings, social distancing and hygiene rules will remain in place, he added.

The Health Ministry quickly rebuked Salomon’s statement saying that "no decision has yet been taken" on wearing of masks outdoors, RTL reported.

Health experts are expected to decide in a few weeks on the possible changes to the compulsory mask rule.

Since last week when the third stage of lockdown was lifted and the curfew was pushed back, authorities have been struggling to impose the outdoor masks restrictions and curb large gatherings.

In Paris, police had to intervene on three nights from June 11 to 13 to disperse thousands of unmasked youths who were flouting the curfew.

It is feared lifting of restrictions on masks outdoors will be an invitation to active circulation of COVID-19.

Salomon noted that more than 30 million French people -- half of the 67 million plus population -- have received at least one dose of the vaccine this weekend, but many women and people with comorbidities are yet to be vaccinated.