It's the latest major anti-Covid restriction setting sail.
From this Monday, wearing a mask is no longer compulsory in transport in France.
“The government decides, as of May 16, 2022, to end the obligation to wear a mask in public transport”, announced last week the General Directorate of Health (DGS), which reports directly to the Ministry of Health. health.
Until now, the wearing of the mask was imposed in the subways, buses, trains, planes and taxis.
The lifting of this last restriction confirms the fact that the disease has become a lesser health and political concern.
For the past few weeks, contaminations and hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 have been falling, after a very long winter wave.
And even when it was at a high level at the start of the year, the disease had already passed into the background of concerns, the health situation remaining very little mentioned during the presidential campaign which saw the re-election of Emanuel Macron.
In recent months, the government had already taken several strong measures, with in particular last March the end of the wearing of masks, except in transport, and the end of the vaccination pass, which required to be vaccinated to access restaurants or cinemas. .
Virological indicators still high
If the Covid-19 epidemic seems under control, some researchers warn against an excessive feeling of security, warning that it is probably not over, the threat of a new variant still being present.
Despite these relief measures, the French public health agency indicated on Friday that “the virological indicators nevertheless remain high” and the Minister of Health Olivier Véran called for caution last week, indicating that the pandemic was “not not finished” and that wearing a mask remained “recommended” and that it could become compulsory again if the context so required.
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While the vaccination pass is no longer in force, the health pass, which assumes that you have been vaccinated or have recently tested negative for the virus, is still required to access a health or related establishment, namely in the hospitals or even in nursing homes.
In Europe, the situation differs from country to country.
Spain still imposes the mask in health establishments, retirement homes and transport, while in Belgium it is only compulsory in transport.
In addition to the mask, Germany requires a negative test to go to the hospital.
As for Italy, it also imposes it in cinemas, theaters and concert halls, in schools, on shop staff and on administrative agents who are in contact with the public.
