A ruling requiring face coverings in shops, banks, covered markets or any other enclosed public space came into force in France today.
Anyone violating the rule is liable to pay a €135 fine. Ministers accelerated the rule change because, even though the disease has abated nationwide, there have been localised flare-ups that sparked fears of a second wave.
More than 30,000 deaths in France have been linked to Covid-19. Government edicts about wearing face coverings to curb the spread of Covid-19 have touched off fierce debate in the United States and elsewhere about civil liberties.
In France, most people accept them as a necessary tool to fight the epidemic. Shoppers entering the bakery in Paris where Kalil Gaci works are taking the new