UPDATED MAP: French departments where masks outdoors are now mandatory
Check our map to see which areas in France require masks to be worn outside at all times, in crowded areas or during certain periods of the day
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The pressure on hospitals across France is mounting. Faced with the fourth wave of Covid-19 cases, several departments have reinforced mask-wearing in outdoor spaces to help combat the spread of the virus over the holiday season.
This comes as rules for wearing masks indoors are being lifted for those venues requiring a health pass to enter.
Read more: How will France’s health pass work in cafes, bars and restaurants?
Where in France do I need to wear a mask outdoors?
Currently, more than 300 towns require people to wear masks outdoors. The majority are in coastal regions – areas popular with tourists over the month of August.
Different rules for masks for different departments
However, the do rules differ by department. Generally, there are exceptions for beaches, parks and gardens.
In Savoie, wearing a mask is mandatory at outdoor markets, in stadiums, theatres, train stations, cafes, and restaurants. You must also wear a mask in the town centres of Chambéry, Albertville, Aix-les-Bains, and on the banks of the lakes of Bourget et Chanaz.
For Hautes-Alpes, masks are not required in outdoor venues where the health pass is needed to enter.
In Brittany, the departments of Morbihan and Côtes-d'Armor decided to enforce outdoor mask-wearing on Friday, July 30, due to a rise in Covid cases in particular among young people.
Morbihan requires masks outdoors for all those aged 11 and up in coastal areas and towns with more than 5,000 residents, but they are not needed at the beach.
In Côtes-d'Armor, you should wear a mask outside in the most popular coastal zones for tourists (Paimpol, Perros-Guirec, Bréhat, Erquy and Pléneuf-Val-André) between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Also in Brittany, in Finistère, masks are now obligatory in many outdoor spaces in 22 towns and cities as of August 3. The measure is in effect between 09:00 and 22:00 and will be in place until August 31.
In the department of Haute-Garonne, masks outdoors are mandatory in the city centre of Toulouse between 9 a.m.and 3 a.m.; in Bordeaux, you must also wear a mask in crowded parts of the city.
It's best to check with the local authority – and always carry a mask.
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