Health Minister Olivier Véran told TV news station BFMTV on Sunday that it was too early for people to stop wearing face masks in public places.

However, he added: “We will not ask the French to wear the mask outside one day more than what will be necessary.”

Saying that there will be no change in the rules until at least the end of June, he said that it would be ridiculous for French people to be be told to wear masks on the beach and have tan marks on their faces.

He said that the most likely outcome was to have different rules for different circumstances. In the first instance, when alone on the beach it would be unnecessary to wear a mask. “You are not a risk to anyone because there is no one there,” he said.

However, in tight spaces, such as small alleys, the wearing of masks makes sense.

In the meantime, “wherever the mask is compulsory, it is compulsory,” he said.

FILE PHOTO: Olivier Véran Reuters