A month ago, France is experiencing a steady rise in cases of covid-19 on its territory. A situation that is worrying the authorities. From July onwards, an upsurge in contamination due to the arrival of tourists led to the compulsory wearing of masks in the open air in seaside resorts such as Argeles, Biscarosse, Cancale, Honfleur, La Baule, Menton, Saint-Malo, Saint-Tropez and Trouville.
With August, urban centres have also adopted this protective measure, the latest being Paris. This is a situation to keep a close eye on, as the fine for not wearing a mask is generally set at 135 euros!
A dozen hidden metropolises
Here is a selection of the main French cities where wearing a mask is now compulsory in certain outdoor locations. Medium-sized towns such as Annecy, Biarritz, Bourges, Cannes, La Rochelle, Quimper and Troyes also make it compulsory to wear a mask in certain areas.
- AmiensWearing a mask is compulsory, particularly around the station, the pedestrian zone and the Saint-Leu district.
- LilleFrom Lille-Europe and Lille-Flandres stations to Rue de la République and Place de la République, Place Rihour, Old Lille and the area around the Citadelle, masks are a must.
- MarseilleWearing a mask is compulsory in the Old Port, Escale Borely, Cours Julien and some streets in the Noailles district. For more information, visit the Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône.
- MontpellierWearing masks in the pedestrianised hypercentre, including Place de la Comédie, from 11 August.
- Nancy: Mask compulsory in the city's hypercentre, particularly Place Stanislas.
- NiceThe city is probably the one where wearing a mask is compulsory over the largest urban area. According to information on the municipal information websiteThe mask is compulsory between Gare Saint-Jean, the Promenade des Anglais, Place Masséna, the old town and the Port.
- Orléans. Orléans Town Hall is making it compulsory to wear a mask in some parts of the city, such as the quays of the Loire and pedestrianised streets.
- ParisSince Monday, it has been compulsory to wear a mask in busy streets and public areas. This includes the quays of the Seine, rue Montmartre, rue Montorgueil, the pedestrianised area of Les Halles, rue Saint-Honoré, rue de la Roquette, the Belleville area, Montmartre and the Bassin de la Villette. The map shows that the north of Paris is most affected by the restrictions. On the other hand, the Left Bank districts remain unaffected. The same applies to stations and busy areas such as Boulevard Haussmann, the Champs-Elysées, Place de la République and Rue de Rivoli. The areas where masks must be worn can be identified on a map provided by the Mairie de Paris.
- Island-de-France: The Préfecture de Police is making it compulsory to wear a mask in certain high-traffic areas in Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne and Val-d'Oise.
- Rennes: compulsory mask in the pedestrian centre.
- Toulon: masks must be worn in the town centre, the port and the citadel.
- Toulouse Wearing a mask is compulsory from Place Saint-Pierre to Pont-Neuf and along the banks of the Garonne. However, the hypercentre around Place du Capitole is not affected by this measure. municipality considering this part of the city to be a place of passage.
- Tours: Wearing a mask is compulsory in the Old Town and along the quays of the Loire.
As of 10 August, Angers, Brest, Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Lyon, Metz, Mulhouse, Reims, Rouen and Strasbourg were still resisting the imposition of masks in town centres. However, these towns make it compulsory to wear masks at open-air markets. However, the situation is likely to change depending on the state of the pandemic. Bordeaux and Nantes, for example, will be imposing the wearing of masks in city centres by 15 August, while the city of Lyon has indicated that it is considering such a measure.
(updated on 13/08/20)
