Paris reverses outdoor mask rule as Omicron saturation fears recede

Parisians will no longer have to wear masks outdoors – a rule enforced on New Year's Eve – following projections that suggest the Omicron coronavirus wave will have less of an impact on hospitals than expected. 

A Paris court has suspended an order from the police prefecture that imposed the wearing of masks outdoors in the French capital since 31 December. AFP - JOEL SAGET

A Paris court has suspended an order from the police prefecture that imposed the wearing of masks outdoors in the French capital since 31 December.

A similar decision had already been taken in the nearby Yvelines department on Wednesday, on the grounds that the measure to combat the spread of Covid was an infringement of individual freedom.

Thursday's ruling comes as the Pasteur Institute has announced the pandemic in France is "difficult but under control".

After starting 2022 in a state of uncertainty due to the explosion of cases linked to the Omicron variant, France could, like neighbouring countries, escape the worst.

"We are moving towards scenarios that remain very complicated for hospitals but are not the hardest that could have happened," said Simon Cauchemez, a researcher in charge of the Pasteur Institute's forecast modeling.

Le tribunal administratif a décidé de mettre un coup d’arrêt au port du masque en extérieur à Paris 😷

Cette mesure était en vigueur depuis le 31 décembre https://t.co/848fqJVZTZ

— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) January 14, 2022

No mass hospitalisation

Like many other countries, France has faced an explosion of Covid cases with the average daily level of contamination reaching 300,000 cases per day – figures not seen since the beginning of the pandemic.

This can be explained in part by the exceptionally high number of tests being carried ou, but they also reflect a real resurgence of the epidemic, linked to the Omicron variant.

Omicron, which appeared at the end of 2021, is much more transmissable than its predecessors and, according to the World Health Organization, will soon affect more than half of Europe's population of 400 million.

January peak

But one hope has been confirmed in recent weeks: Omicron is less dangerous than previous variants of the virus, causing fewer hospitalisations because the population is better vaccinated, and also because the strain is less virulent.

Revised projections point to a peak of between 2,500 and 5,000 daily hospitalisations by the end of January.

Fewer people are going into intensive care and are staying in hospital for less time.

However, the burden hospitals still face should not be minimised as many have already been forced to reschedule operations due to Covid pressures and exhaustion among medical staff.

Read more:

• French Health Minister Olivier Véran tests positive for Covid
• Omicron could offer 'natural Covid immunity' without need for boosters, says EMA