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The French government published a decree to clarify that face covering masks with a filtration efficiency lower than 90% are not recommended due to Covid-19 virus mutation

April 03, 2021  /  CPTS QA

To avoid the spread of mutated Covid-19, the French government published a new decree, n° 2021-76, on January 27, 2021 and updated the Cross Ministries Note on January 28, 2021, recommending using masks with a higher filtration efficiency; face masks with a filtration efficiency lower than 90% are not recommended.

The decree mentioned:

  1. Face masks are mandatory in any public area.

  2. At point of sale, compliant masks must be separated from non-compliant masks and distributors must inform when masks comply or not with sanitary authorities' recommendations.

  3. The face masks must comply with requirements listed and belong to one of the below categories:

    • Surgical mask complying to EN 14683 + AC: 2019 (or equivalent).

    • Imported masks with surgical shape, excluding textile fabric masks, which perform at least equal to masks mentioned at the 4th bullet point.

    • FFP2 or FFP3 mask complying to EN 149 + A1: 2009 (or equivalent) without expiratory valve.

    • Mask for Non-Sanitary Use (UNS) complying with:

      1. Particle filtration efficiency > 90% (3 microns);

      2. Breathability allowing wearing the mask for 4 hours;

      3. Air permeability > 96L/m²/s (differential pressure 100Pa);

      4. Good fit of the mask on the face, no sagittal seam;

      5. If reusable, the performance levels mentioned should be maintained after at least five washes.

Above requirements must be checked by an approved 3rd party lab and according to conditions mentioned in government decision. It is important to note that reusable textile masks can still be used if they comply with this updated requirement.

French decree n° 2021-76:
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043070201

Approved 3rd party lab:
https://www.entreprises.gouv.fr/fr/covid-19/entreprises-comment-faire-tester-masques

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