As of May 16th, transport users will no longer have to wear face coverings, a measure that was implemented in spring 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“From Monday, May 16, masks will no longer be mandatory for all public transport,” Olivier Veran said after a weekly cabinet meeting.

“Wearing a mask remains recommended,” he added, but the rule is “no longer appropriate” given the large drop in Covid cases recently.

The only place where face masks will remain obligatory in France is in medical settings such as at the doctors or in hospitals. People who test positive will still be required to self-isolate.

Exactly two years ago, at the end of the first lockdown on May 11th, 2020, then-Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that face masks would be mandatory on public transport to help stop the spread of Covid-19.  

For the last three weeks, Covid-19 cases have been falling in France. As of Tuesday, May 10th, 56,449 new cases have been reported with 1,167 people admitted to the hospital. Over the past week, there have been an average of 37,637 new cases per day.

Since the start of the pandemic, France’s Health Ministry has reported 146,979 total deaths from Covid-19, with 594 deaths in the last week.