As part of the fight against COVID-19, the question of whether the general public should be required to wear masks in public spaces is frequently raised. Some countries and cities around the world—including places where mask-wearing had not previously been recommended for the general public in the absence of symptoms—have taken steps in this direction, advocating the use of surgical masks or non-surgical cloth masks known as “alternative,” “barrier,” or “general public” masks. In France, the production of alternative masks is growing and gaining popularity among the public, and the proportion of people reporting having used a mask has increased since late March, reaching 59% on April 20–22. An opinion from the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) dated April 24, 2020, regarding the adaptation of barrier measures and social distancing to be implemented among the general public—excluding healthcare and medico-social settings—to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, "recommends making the wearing of a general-purpose mask mandatory in establishments open to the public, whenever a physical distance of at least 1 meter cannot be guaranteed or if there is doubt about the possibility of organizing and maintaining it."