The French Parliament has approved a Bill mandating COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers and requiring those seeking access to certain social venues to carry a health pass showing proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or a recent negative test, reports Jurist.
These restricted social venues include high contamination-risk department stores and shopping centres, restaurants, locations that provide essential goods and services, and some transportation services.
The Senate passed the Bill in an effort to combat COVID-19 by adopting measures that balance societal demands for partaking in various activities with the need to limit virus circulation in the country, and to account for the national effort in favour of vaccination. For instance, the Bill extends the health crisis management regime until December 2021, increases penalties for failure to comply with restrictions, and broadens solitary confinement measures for those who contract coronavirus.
It also requires those working in health and medical-social sectors to be vaccinated and imposes penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, the Bill provides “compensation for damage directly attributable to compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 by the National Office for Compensation for Medical Accidents, Iatrogenic Diseases and Nosocomial Infections”.
French protesters who oppose the vaccine mandate gathered in Paris, with some calling for an end of the “health dictatorship”.
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