Covid-19: the return of the mandatory mask in the fall not mentioned at this stage, according to Aurélien Rousseau
CORONAVIRUS – At the beginning of August, the Minister of Health said to himself “vigilant” regarding a resurgence of Covid-19 cases, linked in particular to the emergence of the Eris variant. If caution is still required, the scenario of a return of the mandatory mask in certain common places by the fall is currently not on the table, Aurélien Rousseau said on Monday August 21.
“Today, we do not have this scenario” an obligation to wear a mask “because the variants you are talking about are under surveillance”said the Minister of Health on BFMTV.
In July, the World Health Organization added to its list of variants to watch a new kid, EG.5.1 or Eris, a sub-variant of Omicron. A few weeks later, a slight epidemic resumption was observed in France, but “today, Covid-19 and the mutations we know about do not present any particularly worrying level of danger or incidence” insists Aurélien Rousseau.
To have ” the reflex » wearing a mask
During a press briefing organized on August 11, the Directorate General for Health mentioned an incidence which remains “at low levels”with a noted increase of “ 6.2 to 7.7 per 100,000”.
Ten days later, the numbers have not changed: “We are on an incidence that is rising slightly, a very low hospital impact”, confirms Aurélien Rousseau. The DGS, however, warned of the impossible comparison between the incidence rates now recorded and those of previous epidemics, due in particular to changes in the monitoring system.
This reassuring news did not, however, prevent the Minister of Health from encouraging the French to “trivialize » wearing a mask, even outside the epidemic peak. It is “the first step, as soon as we have a symptom, as soon as we are in contact with fragile people: we resume the reflex of putting on the mask. (…) The mask is commonplace when you have symptoms”, he insists.
See also on The HuffPost :