The mask is now compulsory in closed public places. Invited to 8 p.m. on TF1, President Emmanuel Macron spoke about the accessibility of masks and their possible free admission.
Yesterday evening, President Emmanuel Macron spoke about wearing a mask. Earlier today, MEPs had suggested making masks free for all, given that they have recently become compulsory in all enclosed public spaces. The President of the Republic has rendered his verdict on the subject and the answer is clear: there will be no free masks for everyone. He explains : "The French state and taxpayer are not intended to pay for masks for everyone, all the time. So I think it should remain a social policy." For him, "those who cannot afford to buy it will be helped". He affirms that the priority of the government remains all the same the security of the French fes and the access to the masks: "I believe that the priority was to have access for all French women and for all French people to masks. We responded with the ability to supply, to import, to secure stocks" before adding: "It was important that all our citizens had access to it and that those who could not afford to buy a mainstream mask be helped."
If free for all is banished from government projects, Emmanuel Macron therefore wished to moderate his remarks by emphasizing the fact that the most disadvantaged will be helped. A little before the intervention of the president, Olivier Véran, Minister of Health, had affirmed that "The state had distributed five million free masks per week, via the CCAS, by the municipalities." He also explained to the Assembly: "We are going to restart this distribution of free masks intended for the precarious public and in particular the public who benefit from complementary solidarity health."
In Ile-de-France, free masks for high school students are planned. On Wednesday, Valérie Pécresse, announced that two washable fabric masks will be distributed at the start of the school year to 500,000 high school students in the region. On France 2, she explained herself as follows: "It's a big budget for families to have to buy masks every day, which is why the Ile-de-France region will provide free masks for all charities that are partners in the region. "