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Can I still wear home-made mask in France?

Reader question: Can I still wear my home-made mask now that 'official' ones are on sale in pharmacies and supermarkets?

Yes you can still wear your own home-made mask.

We called the Covid-19 government helpline and a spokesperson said there is no obligation to wear an official mask with one of the approved logos etc. You can wear your own home-made one and this is also the case for public transport where masks will be obligatory from May 11, when the confinement starts to end.

Anyone not wearing a mask on trains (including Eurostar), buses, metros, etc, will risk a fine of €135, Transport Minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari has said.

Mr Djebbari said: “We will legally authorise specialised staff to perform checks and they will be able to issue fines. People who want to take a VTC [ride-sharing vehicle such as Uber], a taxi, or go into a station without wearing a mask may be refused access. If they still enter despite this, they will be fined.”

Masks may also be required in shops and taxis (the shopkeeper or driver can decide on this requirement). A driver or a shopkeeper can refuse to let customers in if they do not wear a mask.

In public areas, wearing a mask is simply recommended and not mandatory.

Masks are now available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and bar-tabacs. It is possible to buy single-use paper masks or reusable fabric masks which have the official logo to certify of their quality. The logo also shows how many times you can rewash it (from 5 to 30 times). 

See more: Logo to certify quality of masks in France

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