France's Education Ministry announced Tuesday evening that wearing masks is going to be compulsory again for all students at elementary schools from next Monday.
The ministry's announcemnet came on the heels of President Emmanuel Macron's seech on COVID-19 in which he affirmed that people over 65 will need to show proof of a Covid-19 booster jab to be able to visit restaurants, attend cultural events and take intercity trains in France.
"From December 15, you (over-65s) will need to provide proof of a booster jab to extend the validity of your health pass," Macron said in an address to the nation warning that Covid-19 infection rates are climbing again in France.
The new rule for over-65s will further tighten what is one of the strictest such regimes in Europe. There were protests in France when the measures were first introduced over the summer but they have since diminished.
"We have not finished with the pandemic," Macron said, clarfying that while France is currently in a better position than either Germany or the UK, infection rates have gone up 40 percent over the past week.
The president also pointed out that "all the studies show" that six months after getting the vaccine, "immunity decreases and therefore the risk of developing a serious form (of Covid) increases."
"The solution to this decrease in immunity is an additional vaccine shot," he said.
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