3 Feb

The French government has lifted its work-from-home and outdoor mask mandates as part of a phased easing of coronavirus restrictions.

France has frequently been reporting more than 300,000 new cases of the coronavirus a day since January.

But the government decided to lift some restrictions on Wednesday, saying hospital bed occupancy rates are not tight and citing experts' predictions that new cases will start to decline in a few weeks.

People in France are no longer required to work from home at least three days a week or wear masks outdoors.

At a software company in Paris, employees maintain social distancing while working in the office. But the firm says 85 percent of its employees want to continue working from home some of the time, and they will be allowed to do so.

A personnel manager hopes such workers will contribute more to the company, rather than quit, if they feel comfortable in their work environment.

A 55-year-old man interviewed on the street welcomed the government decision, saying he hates masks and thought they were meaningless outdoors.

But a 79-year-old woman said she will continue to wear masks because she and her family have breathing problems..

NHK