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Can I still wear home-made mask in France?

Reader question: Can I still wear my home-made mask now that 'official' ones are on sale in pharmacies and supermarkets?

Yes you can still wear your own home-made mask.

We called the Covid-19 government helpline and a spokesperson said there is no obligation to wear an official mask with one of the approved logos etc. You can wear your own home-made one and this is also the case for public transport where masks will be obligatory from May 11, when the confinement starts to end.

Anyone not wearing a mask on trains (including Eurostar), buses, metros, etc, will risk a fine of €135, Transport Minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari has said.

Mr Djebbari said: “We will legally authorise specialised staff to perform checks and they will be able to issue fines. People who want to take a VTC [ride-sharing vehicle such as Uber], a taxi, or go into a station without wearing a mask may be refused access. If they still enter despite this, they will be fined.â€

Masks may also be required in shops and taxis (the shopkeeper or driver can decide on this requirement). A driver or a shopkeeper can refuse to let customers in if they do not wear a mask.

In public areas, wearing a mask is simply recommended and not mandatory.

Masks are now available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and bar-tabacs. It is possible to buy single-use paper masks or reusable fabric masks which have the official logo to certify of their quality. The logo also shows how many times you can rewash it (from 5 to 30 times).

See more: Logo to certify quality of masks in France

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