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Covid-19: towards a return of the mandatory mask? The Covars is looking into the matter

2022-12-02T11:43:44.964Z


Elisabeth Borne launched a “solemn appeal” on Tuesday to wear the mask, especially in transport, in the midst of the 9th wave of Covid-19. M


Simply “recommended” since last May, will wearing a mask once again become compulsory in transport, or even in other places open to the public?

The Committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks (Covars) has just been seized of this question by the government, tells us one of its members, confirming information from RMC.

Its objective is “to go quickly” to render its decision.

France is hit by a 9th wave of Covid-19, due in particular to the gradual arrival of the new Omicron BQ.1.1 variant.

Nearly 55,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 hospital admissions are recorded every day, up 38% and 25% respectively over one week.

With in addition to other respiratory viruses circulating, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne launched a “solemn appeal” on Tuesday to wear the mask in transport and closed places welcoming the fragile public.

"Depending on the evolution of the pandemic, we may have to take other measures."


COVID-19: the mask again compulsory?

We talk about it with @FrcsBraun, Minister of Health and Prevention in #CàVous pic.twitter.com/yz1vNYLRBb

— C to you (@cavousf5) December 1, 2022

“Depending on the evolution of the pandemic, we may have to take other measures”, indicated for his part Thursday evening on France 5 the Minister of Health, François Braun.

His entourage tells us that he "regularly contacts Covars on many subjects" and that it "fully exercises its watchdog role".

Legal puzzle

In its first opinion, issued at the end of October, the Covars considered that "communication on the wearing of masks must be reinforced, incentive, simple, clear and repeated".

It did not recommend any obligation, except in health establishments.

If ever this advice of scientists and experts were to change its position and recommend a compulsory mask in other places, the government would remain free to follow it.

However, that's usually what it does.

Read alsoCovid-19: Ineffective?

Illegal ?

The true of the false on the planned return of the compulsory mask

A legal question would then arise: not what bias to impose a mask?

Since August 1, France has left the legal framework of the “law relating to the management of the exit from the health crisis”.

A law "putting an end to the exceptional regimes created to fight against the epidemic (of Covid-19)" replaced it, but it does not provide anything on this subject.

“Apart from the places that receive patients, there is no longer any legislative vehicle allowing the wearing of a mask to be imposed”, the lawyer Guillaume de Durat told us at the beginning of October.

The government should either go through a new law, which promises to be an obstacle course, or by ministerial decree… with the risk that the Council of State will oppose it.

“We would really have to face a real health threat for this to be validated”, estimated lawyer Caroline Lantero, judging the measure “acrobatic”.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2022-12-02

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