France began lifting a series of Covid curbs on Wednesday, including mandatory mask wearing outdoors, as the government seeks a return to normality by mid-February, reports the Evening Standard.
Prime minister Jean Castex said working from home guidance would be scrapped as well as audience capacity limits on concert halls and sporting matches.
The decision to relax restrictions has proved divisive as the country continues to report high daily infections. On Monday, a total of 399,668 were reported – down from the record high of more than 501,000 last month but nearly 10 times the average being recorded at the beginning of December.
Mr Castex said the return of freedoms had been made possible by the introduction of a new vaccination pass last month, which requires people to show evidence of inoculation and not just previous infection.
They are required to travel on public transport and enter restaurants, bars and events.
The government will also lift restrictions on nightclubs, shut since December, on February 16.