FRANCE MANDATES MASK WEARING

Wearing a face mask in busy outdoor parts of Paris is mandatory from Monday morning as the country records a flare-up in COVID-19 cases.

Multiple streets, markets, as well as river banks and the famous hill of Montmartre are affected by the new decree.

The Paris town hall said in a statement that the measure was introduced because "the virus is again circulating more actively" in the Ile-de-France region with "nearly 400 people testing positive for COVID-19 every day," according to Euronews.

"The rate of positive tests now stands at 2.4% in Ile-de-France against 1.6% on the national average," it also said, adding that "the incidence is particularly high in 20-30 year olds."

The measure applies to everyone over the age of 11 and is to last at least a month. The authorities stressed that the areas affected "are likely to change in the coming weeks depending on epidemiological data and observation of the use of public spaces."

Failure to comply will result in a €135 fine.