MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th August, 2020) The Paris authorities on Monday made wearing masks obligatory in the most crowded public places to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease, as the recent weeks have been marked with a surge in new COVID-19 infections in the French capital and the Il-de-France region.
"Amid an increase in COVID-19 infections in Paris and the Paris region, the prefect of police, in full agreement with the mayor of Paris, adopted a decree that requires the wearing of a mask in certain high-density areas, starting from Monday August 10, 2020 until 8 am for people aged 11 years and older," the Paris administration said in a statement.
The measure is linked to an increased incidence of the coronavirus infection in the region since mid-July, with an average of 400 positive cases per day, or a rate of 2.4 percent. The country's average stands at 1.6 percent, the statement added.
Those who violate the rule, which will last for at least a month, will be fined 135 Euros (nearly $159).
At the end of July, the municipal authorities were allowed to make masks mandatory in their departments in line with the health situation. This preventive measure has already been applied in Marseilles, Lille and the Mayenne region.�
Nevertheless, the French government has ruled out a second virus wave and nationwide lockdown.
According to the most recent update by Johns Hopkins University, France has confirmed 235,237 COVID-19 infections with a death toll of 30,327.
