The prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes issued a decree on Tuesday April 6 which makes the wearing of a mask compulsory in a certain number of public spaces including the beaches.
The entire department is affected by this measure, which entered into force on Wednesday and which will remain in place until May 3 included.
Anyone over the age of eleven must now wear a mask when walking on the coast of the Alpes-Maritimes.
# COVID19 To read the prefectural decrees in force, it's here ⤵️: https://t.co/JcXQwbGzRD pic.twitter.com/VsE5tP1tV0
- PréfetAlpesMaritimes (@ prefet06) April 7, 2021
In its decree, the prefecture highlights the health situation in the department, considering in particular that "the share of British variant found among positive cases for Covid-19 represents almost all cases in the Alpes-Maritimes" and underlining the " highly contagious character ”of this variant.
According to the latest data published this Thursday by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, the positivity rate in this territory of southern France is 6.6%.
The incidence rate, calculated over the week of March 29 to April 4, reached 417 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the intensive care beds were more than 80% occupied.
🔴 # COVID19🔴
ℹ️ Situation of April 8 compared to data from the last published report
▶ ️ 1,571 people hospitalized (-46)
▶ ️536 people in intensive care (-15)
Since the start of the epidemic
▶ ️6,925 people died in hospital (+26)
👉Find out more: https://t.co/htWpUECBHK pic.twitter.com/TuRDQuNvFx
- ARS Paca (@ARSPaca) April 8, 2021
Physical and sports activities not concerned
In total, 18 municipalities are affected by this new prefectural decree, including Nice, Menton and Saint-Laurent-du-Var.
Wearing a compulsory mask applies both on the coast and on the banks of lakes, ponds and other water points, throughout the department.
The prefecture specifies, however, that this measure "does not apply to people practicing physical or sports activities".
However, the latter must have a mask on them "in order to wear it systematically as soon as [they] cease their sporting activity and are at a standstill and near pedestrians" explains the decree.
Any offender can be fined 135 euros for non-compliance with health restrictions.
In France, other departments have already made it compulsory to wear a mask on the coast, as is the case in Loire-Atlantique or in Morbihan.
"Following a prefectural decree, wearing a mask is compulsory throughout the town, including on the beach", could we read on the site of the city of Pornichet (Loire-Atlantique) last November.
On the other hand in some departments, this is not the case.
Last March, despite an extension of the wearing of the mask in several municipalities of Corse-du-Sud, the beaches were among the exempted places.
In Spain, a week after causing controversy by establishing the obligation to wear a mask at all times on the beach, the government finally backed down on Thursday, indicating that if the distance between the different groups of people was respected, this would not be mandatory.