A court in Lyon ruled on Friday that making face masks mandatory in all public spaces in Lyon and neighbouring Villeurbanne constituted a “serious and illegal infringement” of citizens’ liberties.

It added that health authorities have “only recommended wearing of masks in cases of gatherings with a high density of people outside” and gave the prefecture until September 8 to amend their orders to exclude areas where conditions were not “likely to favour the spread” of the disease.

Officials must also remove periods of the day in which “there is no particular risk of spreading the virus” from the orders.

A civil liberty group called “Les Essentialistes” brought the case against authorities arguing that the decrees were disproportionate and inefficient.

The prefecture said on Twitter that “took note” of the ruling and that the judge had “confirmed the validity” of setting up a rule enforcing mandatory mask-wearing.

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