Take off the masks in a month? The obligation to wear a protective mask in outdoor places could be lifted in fine weather in France. Olivier Véran, Minister of Health, “Sincerely hope it will be this summer”, he declared, at the beginning of May, on Europe 1. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic, believes that the obligation must be maintained at least until the end of June.
However, several departments have already partially lifted this obligation. Among them are Lozère, Moselle, Charente-Maritime, Loir-et-Cher, Puy-de-Dôme, Ariège and Morbihan. Except in populated urban areas and flea market and second-hand events, it will no longer be required to wear it in the open air in these departments. In addition, the Var, Seine-Maritime and Gironde, among others, have lifted the obligation to equip them on the beach. Therefore, sales of masks in France should drop drastically.
French mask manufacturers have already largely prepared for this deadline. Those who, in the spring of 2020, at the request of the government, to remedy the shortage of protective masks available in France, had converted their production lines – 250 tailors and 150 fabric manufacturers had then mobilized – have already given up produce it.
“It only lasted three months”
“It’s been months”, reports Karine Renouil-Tiberghien, co-manager of the SME La Manufacture de layette et de tricots, which, in Pau (Pyrenees), had transformed its sweaters factory into a mask workshop. “It only lasted three months”, also specifies Christian Schmitt, CEO of the SME Henitex, a Roanne manufacturer of jersey and jacquard, who, with two technicians, in four days of time, in mid-March, had developed a mesh mask to supply local communities with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
But quickly, with the reestablishment of cargo aircraft lines from Asia, the French market was inundated with surgical masks less expensive than those produced in France. In the summer, when the sales of masks reached the world record of 166 billion units, according to the firm Grand View Research, against 800 million in 2019, the French manufacturers of fabric masks had felt the tide turning and put an end to their production.
Hennitex, which, in total, “In three months time”, sold 4.5 million at a price of 4.85 euros, now has a balance of 100,000 units. What to do with it? “I give them to whoever wants, to associations”, argues Mr. Schmitt, from his factory in Riorges. However, this production had the merit of helping the manufacturer get through the crisis and the drop in orders from its regular customers, says the manager. Its 2020 financial year ended with record net income. Since then, the company has invested in new knitting looms to start a business of manufacturing underwear.
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