Britain adds mask rule as France remains on fence
PARIS — The British government decided Monday to require people to wear face coverings in shops, joining a long list of countries that have made masks mandatory under some circumstances in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
After weeks of prevarication and days of confused messaging, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government said that masks will be required in stores starting July 24.
Johnson’s office said “growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus.”
Those who flout the law can be fined up to 100 pounds, equal to about $125, by the police under public health laws.
Johnson’s government until now recommended — but did not require — maskwearing in stores. The prime minister, who in the spring spent a week in the hospital being treated for COVID-19, was not seen in public in a mask until Friday, when he suggested that the government was considering “stricter” rules for mask use.
The opposition Labour Party questioned Monday why the new mask measure would not come into force for 11 days. Labour health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said the government “has been slow and muddled again over face coverings.”
Meanwhile, France’s government said Monday that it’s also considering requiring masks in all indoor public places amid signs of a small rise in confirmed virus cases — and a big drop in public vigilance. French scientists have pushed for such a requirement in recent days as families crisscross the country for vacations.
Local mayors have already started requiring masks, notably in the Mediterranean city of Nice, where images of thousands of people dancing at an outdoor DJ performance this weekend provoked nationwide concern.
Elsewhere in Europe, where the virus curve largely flattened out months ago, most governments made masks mandatory as soon as they started reopening their economies, requiring their use in shops and other indoor public spaces and on public transportation.
Britain and France, which have reported some of the world’s highest numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths, took a more relaxed attitude, recommending masks but not requiring them.
At least until now. In France, restaurants, schools and many businesses reopened weeks ago. While mask use and social distancing were relatively widespread during the country’s strict home confinement period and initially after it ended, many French people have since returned to the old normal — forgoing masks, resuming cheek-kissing and gathering in crowded cafes.
While scientists were divided on mask use early in the pandemic, new knowledge about the virus has changed that.
In the streets of Paris, many — but not all — welcomed the idea of requiring masks.
The French government “should’ve made it mandatory indoors right away” like in Spain and Italy, said Paulo Lorenzo, 50, who says he usually wears a mask when he leaves the house. “Now it’s going to be a bit complicated.”