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EXPLAINED: Who is entitled to free face masks in France

Face masks are compulsory in several public spaces in France, but for most people they are not free. Here's a look at who is entitled to free masks in France.

EXPLAINED: Who is entitled to free face masks in France
French President Emmanuel Macron swapped his tricoloré patriotic mask for a white one when visiting pharmaceutical group Seqens to show his support for innovative research on Covid-19. Photo: AFP

Face masks have become key in the French government's preventive strategy to curb the coronavirus spread in the country.

Across France, masks are compulsory both inside public spaces and on public transport, in secondary schools, high schools and in the workplace.

Piling onto the nationwide rules, hundreds of local authorities have issued rules on mask-wearing outside too, with nearly a dozen big cities – including Paris, Nice and Marseille – introducing blanket rules that mean anyone leaving their home must wear a mask.

Some have complained that, due to the increasingly strict rules on mask-wearing, the government should make masks free for everyone.

'Uncomfortable but vital' – Why three quarters of French people support tough mask rules

While capping the price of face masks, the government has said it will not make them free – bar few exceptions.

According to a new government decree, these groups are entitled to free masks;

  • People on complementary health insurance (CSS) or State medical aid (AME) who received masks by post at the end of July;
  • Vulnerable people likely to develop severe forms of Covid-19 can pick up free masks in pharmacies on medical prescription. The government previously published a decree detailing who qualifies as “vulnerable” (people aged over 65 with diabetes, cancer patients, HIV patients, people on dialysis etc).
  • Anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 and who has a medical prescription;
  • Anyone identified as living in the same household as someone with the virus.

Fabric, surgical or filter – what are the rules in France on mask types?

Certain groups also benefit from free masks through their job;

  • Employees who are required to wear a mask at work are not themselves responsible for purchasing these masks, their employer is (only during work hours, except for vulnerable people who are to receive masks for their commute to and from work). Anyone who works in a shared indoor workplace must now wear a mask at work – for more details on the rules, click here.
  • Public health workers and social workers get their masks from the government.
  • Doctors, dentists, medical biologists, midwives, nurses, and health personnel working with Covid-19 PCR tests have the right to 24 masks per week;
  • Pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical technicians, medical physicists, pharmacy assistants and laboratory technicians have the right to 18 masks per week;
  • Hearing care professionals, dieticians, therapists, opticians, speech therapists, orthoptists, chiropodists, prosthetists and orthotists, psychomotor therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and psychologists have the right to 12 masks per week.
  • Home helps and carers
  • Service providers and equipment distributors

Covid-19 patients and medical professionals receive one-use surgical masks or filter masks, but the masks sent out to low-income families are washable fabric masks.

There's no pattern option though, so if you want to pimp up your mask then you might have to pay out.

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

Buying a property, préfecture problems, buying and selling concert tickets, how and where to watch Euro 2024 action - plus of course what France's snap elections mean for foreigners in France - are all this week's must-reads from The Local.

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

We don’t normally do politics here – the ‘Essentials’ newsletter is supposed to be practical and we usually leave that political sort of thing to editor Emma Pearson and her election bulletins.

But there are some things we can’t ignore. And one is that there’s a snap-election coming up, and there’s a possibility that Marine Len Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party could do well. So – from visas to cartes de séjour and French language tests – here’s a look at some RN’s policies that could affect foreigners living in France, or hoping to move here someday.

What a far-right prime minister could mean for foreigners in France

There are several things to consider before buying property in France. You may want to visit the area during different seasons to be sure that you enjoy it rain or shine, and you will want to consider how much you would end up paying in property taxes, as well as whether or not it will be a main residence or second home.

And then, there are the extra hurdles for foreigners purchasing property here. Here’s a look at some of the restrictions and challenges you will want to be aware of beforehand.

What restrictions are there on foreigners buying property in France?

Many foreigners have experienced problems with their local préfecture – from long delays in processing applications to difficulty getting appointments and problems in making contact with préfecture staff.

If you’re a non-EU citizen living in France then you will need either a visa or a carte de séjour (residency permit) – and in the early years most people will need to regularly renew their cards – this means that you will have to interact with their local préfecture, or sous-préfecture. Here are a few tips to make the process a little easier on the blood pressure…

Top tips for dealing with delays or problems at your French préfecture

A football tournament kicked off on Friday – you may have heard something about it. From TV schedules to bars, cafés and fan zones, here are your options for watching all matches of the Euro 2024 football tournament in France.

How to watch the Euro 2024 tournament on TV in France

If you are buying or selling tickets to events such as concerts, matches or festivals in France, then there are some rules to be aware of, especially as the Olympic and Paralympic Games approach.

The rules for buying and selling tickets in France

From strike action to Olympic disruption, via ‘black days’ on the roads and the €49 rail pass, here’s a look ahead to what to expect if you’re travelling to, from or within France in summer 2024.

Travel to France: What to expect on roads, rails and airports this summer

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