The wearing of masks will be compulsory in workplace as of Sept. 1, announced Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne Tuesday in a video conference meeting with France’s union officials.
Donning a mask will be obligatory in all enclosed and shared spaces, including open workplaces, but not in individual, i.e., private, offices. The supplying of masks will be the obligation of the employer.
MASKS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR MEETING ROOMS
The decision was taken to stem the spread of coronavirus, cases of which have spiked over the week, reaching new highs of 3,310 on Saturday and 3,015 on Sunday. After troubling weekend numbers, the cases dropped from Monday to Tuesday to 493.
Borne is determined to keep the country from submitting to another full lockdown, even encouraging companies to promote teleworking where they can. With the continent’s second-largest economy at her feet, the task is substantial. “We must avoid new confinement at any cost. Everyone must do their utmost to prevent the spread of the epidemic,” Borne expressed in a weekend tweet.
The minister detailed in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that masks are recommended for “meeting rooms where there is no natural ventilation [and] circulation spaces.”
A total of 1,103 new clusters of infection have arisen since the end of lockdown on May 11. According the Health Ministry, one-quarter of those can be traced to workplaces.
The return to school is also an issue of huge concern in France as students resume classes from Sept. 1. French unions think the current health protocols are not enough to warrant the reopening.