Mask: areas where it can be safely removed

Since Monday May 16, French people living in mainland France have been able to remove their masks on public transport. If a large part of the population took advantage of it to finally be able to breathe freely on the bus or in the metro, some remain skeptical and still do not dare to remove it, believing that the situation is still worrying.

The incidence rate remains high in some departments, which tends to worry part of the population. However, these figures can be put into perspective and it is important to note that, in a large part of the French regions, this figure has been falling for some time, which shows that the epidemic is receding.

To measure this decline in the Covid-19 epidemic, there is a particularly useful tool called the effective reproduction rate.

This indicator measures transmissibility and corresponds to the average number of secondary cases caused by a single infected person.

It is particularly useful because it is simple to use and understand. If the effective reproduction rate is less than 1, this means that the epidemic is receding in the territory in question. The number 1 thus forms the vigilance threshold, above which the epidemic spreads more and more. Similarly, the number 1.5 marks the alert threshold.

Thus, many French regions, metropolitan areas and overseas, have a reproduction rate of less than 1. This means that the epidemic is receding and that a reduction in health measures seems justified. Find out what these regions are in our slideshow.