France to make mask mandatory in indoor spaces

"In the coming weeks," France would make the wearing of face masks mandatory in public indoor spaces to contain the spread of the coronavirus, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

"We came out of the peak of the first wave... We have managed to stem the virus and return to an almost normal life," Macron said in a televised interview on TF1 and France 2.

"There are indications that (the virus) is re-accelerating. We have signs that it is returning," he said. "I recommend that all citizens wear the mask as much as possible when they are outside and particularly when they are in closed public spaces."

Macron stressed that the best prevention is to respect "barrier gestures" (measures to reduce the risk of infection) and regretted that the French, who now wear masks on public transport as required, respect sanitary measures less strictly in other public spaces.

"I would like to make masks mandatory in all enclosed public spaces... possibly starting on Aug. 1," he said.

Macron also stressed that France will be ready to meet an eventual second wave of the virus.

"We have both stocks and supplies and we have the organization as close to the ground as possible, which would make it possible to face a resurgence," he said.

Asked about the country's plans to reopen schools, Macron said that it would be "normal" to do so and that it was important to support "the children who suffered the most from confinement."

But "if there is an acceleration (of the virus) during the month of August, we will have to review the start of the school year," he said.

As of Monday, France had confirmed 172,377 novel coronavirus cases, 288 of these in last 24 hours. A total of 30,029 people have lost their lives and 6,983 patients remain hospitalized, including 492 in intensive care. Throughout the country, 94 clusters of infection are currently under investigation.