France is continuing its efforts to source masks and thus protect itself from the new coronavirus. Its orders from manufacturers in China now reach nearly two billion copies, assured this Saturday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"The mask orders we have placed are far more important than what we receive" and are subject to "global competition," he said in an interview with Brut online media. And to recall the efforts of France to, at the same time, strengthen its national production of protective masks.
Deconfinement: the tracks that the government is thinking about, the question of tests ... The Minister of Health @olivierveran responds to Brut. pic.twitter.com/ulOJzDsSDl
- Brut FR (@brutofficiel) April 4, 2020On Wednesday, Olivier Véran had assured that France had ordered "more than a billion and a half masks in France and abroad", during a hearing by videoconference by the brand new fact-finding mission of the National Assembly on government management of the crisis.
A change in "sanitary conduct"
The Minister was also asked about the evolution of the recommendations of the health authorities, who now advise the population to wear "alternative masks" in fabrics, while those for medical use must remain reserved for those who need it most. , starting with healthcare professionals and patients.
According to him, the coronavirus epidemic will lead to a change in "health behaviors" in France and in other countries, where the wearing of masks by the general public was until now not widespread, and sometimes unwelcome, unlike to some Asian countries.
“We must be able to produce masks for people who are not caregivers, who are second-line people, who will be in contact with the public, or even tomorrow to offer everyone to wear protection… We are in the process of discussing this with the scientific council, virology experts, health agencies, we are asking them to reassess the doctrine, "he explained. “It is constantly evolving. "
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