From today in France in most public places it is no longer necessary to show the vaccination pass or wear a mask, even in the office and at school, where a further simplified anti-Covid health protocol enters into force. Despite the rebound of infections – + 20% in a week – the French government has decided to respect the calendar established in recent weeks, aimed at loosening the anti-Covid rules and granting greater freedom to citizens towards a full (or almost) return to normality. However, in some overseas territories, such as in Martinique, health passes and curfews remain in effect at 10pm to curb the boom in new cases. “The situation has improved in hospitals and our vaccination coverage is high. For these reasons, health restrictions are lifted, ”Prime Minister Jean Castex told the newspaper Le Parisien.
To go to the bar, the cinema, the theater, the disco, the restaurants and the stadium, it is no longer necessary to show the QR code of the vaccination pass or wear a mask. The only exception concerns centers for the elderly (Ehpad), health facilities and those for non self-sufficient people, which can only be accessed with the vaccination pass or with a rapid negative test. From 28 February in many public places the obligation to wear a mask was no longer in force and from today it will be the same in shops, in places of culture and sports activities, in the workplace and in schools. It remains in force only in public transport (bus, metro, train) and in health centers.
However, Prime Minister Castex “strongly recommends people who are frail for their age or pathologies” to continue to wear a mask indoors and in the event of gatherings. “At present, a return to an obligation is not on the table, but never say never, as a new variant could appear,” explained Matignon. Also from today in the company and in the workplace, in addition to the end of the mask obligation, social distancing is also triggered, with the possibility of returning to attend canteens under the same conditions as before. “Finally, you will be able to rediscover the smile of your colleagues” rejoiced the Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne. The government continues to recommend vaccination, the implementation of certain barrier gestures such as washing hands thoroughly and the ventilation of offices and public places. For employees who request it and if an agreement has been signed with the management of your company, teleworking will be maintained between two and three days a week.
No more masks even in the classroom and all sports activities in schools resume normally from today. In case of contact with a positive, students will have to take a test two days later and if they test positive, they will observe seven days of quarantine. However, the easing of the anti-Covid health protocol is dividing the French medical and scientific community. For some, like the epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, “he intervenes at an inappropriate moment for the epidemic rebound.” Instead, according to colleague Pascal Crepey, “removing the vaccination pass is not a problem as the goal of getting people vaccinated has been achieved”. In France, according to official data, 70% of the 30-60 age group and 80% of those over 60 have already received the booster dose and another significant percentage of people vaccinated with two doses have fallen ill with recent. In the last 24 hours, 60,422 new infections were recorded – against 72,443 on Saturday – in all 20,917 patients were hospitalized and 29 died in hospital, compared to 52 on Saturday.