Masks no longer required on public transport

The final mandated health measure against COVID-19 was lifted across France on Monday morning.

France has discontinued its final mandated safety precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As of Monday, 16 May, masks are no longer required on public transport, including trains, trams and the metro.

“We put measures in place to slow down the spread [of the pandemic] as necessary, and we gradually decrease them as the spread decreases,” said Olivier Veran, the Minister of Health, in a press conference on Wednesday 11 May.

“It’s clear that the situation is improving, the number of incidences, the pressure on the hospitals, and the rate of vaccination is high,” said Dr Hervé Caël, President of l’Ordre des Médecins for Alpes-Maritime, in an interview with Nice Matin. “That doesn’t mean we’ve seen the end of COVID. We will have to live with the virus for months.”

Virological indicators remain high, stated the French public health agency in a press release on Friday 13 May. The government continues to strongly recommend taking sanitary measures, with Dr Caël calling for people to take personal responsibility.

“If you’re young and healthy… it’s legitimate for you to not wear one,” continued Dr Caël. But if you’re a person at risk and you continue to take public transport during peak times, it’s important to continue wearing a mask.