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French towns where masks are also mandatory outside
Since July 20 masks have been mandatory in all enclosed public spaces in France, but now some towns are making them mandatory outside too.
Wearing masks outside is not required by national law in France, however in communes throughout the country, particularly in the north, it has been made mandatory by local authorities to wear masks at outdoor markets or on particular streets or even in entire quartiers of towns.
On Friday (July 31) Health Minister Olivier Véran tweeted that it was up to local authorities to decide on whether to introduce rules on wearing masks outdoors.
“In order to limit the circulation of #COVID_19, prefects will now by decree be able to extend the obligation to wear a mask in open public places.
"This decision may be taken locally, depending on the evolution of the epidemic in each territory,” he tweeted.
It comes just a couple of days after Mr Véran first lent his support to these measures.
Pour limiter la circulation du #COVID__19 , les préfets pourront désormais par arrêté étendre l’obligation de port du masque aux lieux publics ouverts.
— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) July 31, 2020
Cette décision pourra être prise localement, en fonction de l’évolution de l’épidémie dans chaque territoire.
Lille became the latest town in France to impose the measures, with the prefecture announcing today that from August 3 it will be mandatory to wear a mask in certain outdoor areas.
These include public parks or green spaces, pedestrian zones, the Grand Place, high traffic areas, outdoor markets and car parks at train stations, metro stations or airports.
Read more about wearing masks in France:
French doctor: People should wear mask ‘all the time’
Who is eligible for free masks in France?
French city makes masks obligatory in outdoor areas
