The world is gradually unmasking, with the desire to get as close as possible to the "life before".
After France in mid-March, more and more countries are ending the compulsory wearing of masks in most closed places.
Since this Wednesday, having the face protected remains in force only in transport and health establishments in Spain.
In Israel, the compulsory wearing of a mask will also be lifted in the majority of indoor spaces from this Saturday (subject to the agreement of Parliament).
In recent weeks, several European countries (Poland on March 28, Switzerland on April 1, etc.) have taken similar decisions.
England was the first to take the plunge, at the end of January.
Each time, nothing obviously prohibits keeping the mask if desired, and fragile people or contact cases are always encouraged to do so.
But there is no more coercion… except generally in hospitals and sometimes in public transport (metro, train, plane, etc.), as in Spain and France.
“Accepting a level of viral circulation”
“This relaxation is completely justified, especially with the arrival of spring and the fact that it is increasingly difficult to apply the mandatory mask in the middle of summer.
If we maintained it, of course there would be less contamination.
But more generally, we must accept a level of viral circulation that we are able to contain in terms of hospitalizations ”, comments to the Parisian Yves Coppieters, professor of public health at the Free University of Brussels.
Vaccines are much more protective against serious forms than against simple infection, and the Omicron variant has the advantage of being much less virulent than its predecessor, Delta.
"We have finally learned to live on the fringes of the coronavirus - without panic, with responsibility and reflection," Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Wednesday.
Read also“Protect yourself, protect us”: the appeal of the immunocompromised, worried about the end of wearing a mask
Yves Coppieters always recommends to certain categories, “on a case-by-case basis”, to keep the mask indoors.
“When you suffer from comorbidities, when you are uncomfortable, it is common sense to keep the mask on.
Without obligation, but we must insist on awareness, ”explains the Belgian epidemiologist.
In Brussels as in Paris, people remain masked in the street or in stores.
In France, associations of worried immunocompromised patients have even launched a communication campaign with the catchy slogan: “Protect yourself, protect us”.
Strict containment in Shanghai
Other countries or regions in the world remain much more cautious.
In Canada, the province of Quebec maintains the compulsory wearing of the mask indoors until April 30.
The deadline could even be postponed, because the number of daily cases there is clearly on the rise again.
In the United States, the mandatory mask in transport is becoming a source of political battle.
The measure was suspended by a Florida judge on Tuesday, but the Biden administration appealed the following day.
There remains the case of Asian countries which maintain their “Zero Covid” strategy – sometimes by making it more flexible.
In Taiwan, wearing a mask remains compulsory everywhere outdoors, at least until April 30.
China maintains full firmness.
In Shanghai, the population has been strictly confined for three weeks.
Masked or not, it is forbidden (with exceptions) to leave your home.