The government has appealed to Covars, successor to the scientific council, to determine whether the mask should again be compulsory, indicates RMC.
By ThePoint.fr
© Bruno Levesque / MAXPPP / IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP
Published on
Le forced march return mask? According to our colleagues from RMC, Thursday 1er December, the government got in touch with the Covars – the committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks – in order to know whether or not it was necessary to impose the wearing of a mask again in a certain list of places, to be defined. Already last October, the boss of this group who took over from the scientific council had indicated that she was working on the question, in the midst of the eighth wave of contamination.
Since last spring, the government had lifted all the measures aimed at making the wearing of a mask compulsory. Just before the disappearance of this health measure, the obligation concerned companies, public services or even stores until March 14. Two months later, the lifting of this obligation was extended to public transport. There is no doubt that the Covars will have to position themselves on a return – or not – of the compulsory nature of wearing a mask in public transport, a place where respect for social distancing is more than complicated. The response from the watch committee is expected “in the coming days”, assure our colleagues.
READ ALSOCovid-19: a ninth major wave for Christmas?
After pedagogy, time for injunctions
How will the government impose such a measure? According to the services of Elisabeth Borne, all the options are on the table: whether by the vote of a law in Parliament or by the simple drafting of a decree. “Thoughts are underway. We will follow the recommendations if the situation requires it, ”we are content to answer on the side of Matignon.
On November 29, during questions to the government, the Prime Minister called on the French to wear a mask. A recommendation intended for those in contact with “fragile people”, but also “in crowded areas such as public transport”. “The Covid epidemic is starting again”, had hammered the head of government in front of the deputies. For several weeks, the government has been increasing calls for responsibility as health authorities fear a triple epidemic: Covid-19, bronchiolitis and influenza. “Our hospital will still face additional pressure, because in addition to the resumption of Covid, there is an epidemic of bronchiolitis, the highest in recent years, and a particularly virulent seasonal flu epidemic this year”, insisted Elisabeth Borne.
According to Public Health France, the incidence rate was 453.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on November 27. An indicator up 38.1% in one week. At the same time, the positivity rate jumped 10 points and was, on the same date, 27% as France is about to face a ninth wave of Covid-19.