France Updates its Mask Policy to Limit the Use of Non-Sanitary Masks

France Updates its Mask Policy to Limit the Use of Non-Sanitary Masks.

THE French Government has updated its policy on the sale of masks in the face of the advance of the British variant of the coronavirus, which is said to be more contagious, to limit the use of non-sanitary masks with a particle filtering capacity of less than 90 per cent.

Earlier this month, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, reiterated a point made by the High Council of Health, a technical consultative body, which considered that certain masks are insufficient given the higher levels of infections that have been evidenced by some of these strains, such as the ones from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.

The new policy, which appears today (January 28) in the official bulletin, regulates the marketing of non-surgical masks and also increases the recommended safety distance in case of not wearing protection to two metres, instead of the metre recommended so far.

Specifically, the Executive considers protective masks those for surgical use or equivalent and the FFP2 and FFP3 without a valve.

Masks reserved for non-sanitary use, generally handmade or fabric, will only be approved if the filtration to the outside of emitted 3-micrometre particles is greater than 90 per cent, breathability allows four hours of use and air permeability is greater at 96 litres per square metre per second.

In addition, the shape should ensure a facial fit with sagittal seamless nose and chin coverage – performance levels have to persist after at least five washes.

Regarding their sale, the consumer must be informed in a visible and easily accessible way that these masks respond or not to health regulations.

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