A sailboat on a sandy beach in Brittany. Here in Loctudy, in Finistère. – C. Allain / 20 Minutes
- No, wearing a mask is not compulsory on the beaches of the southern Brittany department, nor on those of Finistère.
- In Ille-et-Vilaine and in the Côtes d’Armor, on the other hand, where the incidence rate is high and the intensive care services are very busy, wearing a mask is compulsory “throughout the department”.
- It is up to the prefects of the departments to make compulsory, or not, the wearing of the mask on their territories.
It was a bit of a blur in recent days in Morbihan. The prefectural decree extending the obligation to wear a mask did it concern beaches and coastal paths? Many mayors seemed to think so. Questioned
by our colleagues at Actu.fr, the prefecture has specified its intentions. No, wearing a mask is not compulsory on the beaches of the southern Brittany department. According to the decree published on March 26, the mask is compulsory “in the municipalities of the department in built-up areas (between the entry and exit signs of the municipalities) between 6 am and 8 pm”. But not on the beaches, nor on the coastal paths, except those located in urban areas. “We made the choice of this logic of proportionality: we need places of breathing”, said Arnaud Guinier, chief of staff of the prefecture to Actu.fr.
However, the rule is not the same everywhere in Brittany. If it is relatively spared by the coronavirus epidemic, the region experiences significant disparities in its fight against Covid-19. In Ille-et-Vilaine, where the incidence rate exceeds 260 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the intensive care services are very busy, wearing a mask is compulsory “throughout the department”. Alcohol consumption is also prohibited there. The rule has been the same in the Côtes d’Armor since mid-March and the outbreak of the epidemic.
Not compulsory everywhere in Finistère
As for Finistère, wearing a mask is only compulsory in certain areas of the most populated municipalities. And therefore not on the beaches. With an incidence rate of 79 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it is one of the French departments least affected by the coronavirus. While the epidemic has flared up everywhere, Finistère is currently escaping the “third wave”.
In France, it is up to the prefects of the departments to make it compulsory, or not, to wear a mask in their territories. Thus, it is mandatory on all beaches and parks in the Alpes Maritimes, for example. In Spain, the decision was taken at national level to impose the wearing of a mask only when a distance of 1.5 meters cannot be respected or when moving.