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FEBRUARY 28 SEES THE NEXT STAGE IN THE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS INCLUDING FOR MASK-WEARING AND TESTING The next stage of France’s Covid rule relaxations takes place today (February 28), with
changes to mask-wearing, school systems and testing protocols. FACE MASKS It is no longer obligatory to wear a mask in places where a vaccine pass must be shown. This means that face masks
are no longer required inside cinemas, restaurants, museums or other cultural and leisure venues subject to the vaccine pass system. However, they must still be worn in public transport, in
shops, in public services and at work. READ MORE:Where face masks will no longer be needed in France from February 28 CLOSE CONTACTS NEED ONLY TAKE ONE TEST From today, people who are
identified as being close contacts of a Covid case need only take one test. This test, which can be PCR, antigen or a self-administered test, should be carried out on day two after the
contact is identified. Before now, these people had to take three tests on days zero, two and four. If a self-administered test comes back positive, an antigen or PCR test will be needed to
confirm the result. Anyone testing positive will still need to self-isolate for seven days if they are fully vaccinated or children under 12. On the fifth day, they can take an antigen or
PCR test and leave isolation early if it is negative and they have not had symptoms for the last 48 hours. If you are unvaccinated, the quarantine period is 10 days, unless you test negative
on the seventh day and have not had symptoms for the last 48 hours. In that case, you may leave isolation early. RULES RELAXED IN SCHOOLS As children from cities in Zone A return from their
February holidays, they will find that the Covid measures applied in their school have moved from level 3 down to level 2. This was already the case for children from Zone B when they
returned last week, and will be for Zone C pupils, who will be back in the classroom next week. This means that they may stop wearing a mask in their break times and allows more mixing
between different classes in the same year group. Masks remain obligatory, however, inside school buildings for staff and pupils over the age of six. Like adults, children identified as
close contacts need only carry out one Covid test two days after the contact is detected. RELATED ARTICLES FRANCE’S VACCINE PASS HAS NOT ‘FULLY ACHIEVED ITS GOALS’, SAYS SENATE FRANCE ON
TRACK TO RELAX VACCINE PASS RULES WITHIN WEEKS FRANCE COVID: ‘WE ARE AT THE START OF A NEW ERA,’ SAYS EXPERT