Children six and older have to wear masks in indoor places open to the public amid COVID-19 cases resurgence, French authorities announced on Saturday.
The government lowered the age of children obligated to wear masks from 11 to 6, a step to avoid shutting down schools after the holiday break.
Classes shall be resumed on Monday and young children will have to wear masks in public transport, sports complexes as well as places of worship.
On the first day of the new year, France registered 219,126 new Covid infections, down only slightly from the daily record of 232,200 noted on the last day of 2021.
Meanwhile, the government is betting the fifth wave of the pandemic driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant. France has lost 123,000 people due to the deadly virus.
On his part, President Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of vaccination against coronavirus, calling on the 5 million non-vaccinated French citizens to get vaccinated for themselves, for their compatriots and for their country.
“Vaccination is our most secure asset. It pides the number of severe forms by ten,” Macron said.
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