Franceʼs parliament approved a law on Sunday (16 January) that will exclude unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas and other venues, in government efforts to protect hospitals amid record numbers of infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant. Heavy fines will be incurred for fraudulent passes.
The current health pass will become a “vaccine pass”, and is aimed at “strengthening the tools for managing the health crisis”, reports AP News. The National Assembly adopted the law by a vote of 215-58.
President Emmanuel Macron had hoped to push the Bill through faster, but it was slightly delayed by resistance from lawmakers both on the right and left and hundreds of proposed amendments.
More than 91% of French adults are already fully vaccinated, and some critics have questioned whether the “vaccine pass” will make much of a difference.
Macronʼs government is hoping it will be enough to limit the number of patients filling up strained hospitals nationwide without resorting to a new lockdown. New confinement measures would strike another blow to the economy — and could also cloud Macronʼs chances of re-election in the April 10 presidential vote.
Up to now, a COVID-19 pass has been required in the country to go to restaurants, cinemas, theatres, museums and many sites throughout the country, but unvaccinated people have been allowed in if they show a recent negative test or proof of recent recovery.
The new law requires full vaccination for such venues, including tourist sites, many trains and all domestic flights, and applies to everyone 16 and over. Some exceptions could be made for those who have recently recovered from COVID-19.
France24 with AFP reports that there will also be an exception to the transport rule for people without a vaccine pass travelling for “compelling family or health reasons” – a dying relative, for example – provided that a negative test is presented, “except in the case of emergency”.
Minors aged 12 to 15 will continue to be required to present the current health pass to access leisure activities, restaurants and bars, fairs or inter-regional public transport.
To obtain the new vaccine pass, a complete schedule (two doses or one, depending on the vaccine) will be required. From 15 February, a booster dose will be required four months – and not the existing seven months – after the previous dose for the pass to remain valid.
In certain circumstances to be defined by decree, and in the name of “the interest of public health”, it may be required to present both proof of vaccination status and a negative test.
The vaccination pass should come into effect in the next few days. But, subject to a ruling by the conseil constitutionnel, Franceʼs highest constitutional authority, local prefects could be able to adapt the date, particularly in the overseas territories where the vaccination rate is lower.
The law also imposes tougher fines for fake passes and allows ID checks to avoid fraud. After alarming reports of unvaccinated people buying fake health passes, the new law has tough provisions to crack down on offenders.
Presenting a pass belonging to someone else or passing one on to someone else to be used fraudulently will now be an offence punishable by a fixed fine of €1,000 for the first offence, compared with the current €135.
Possession of several false passes will be punishable by five years in prison plus a fine of €75,000.
If a person commits to a vaccination programme, there may be no penalty for a false pass. For owners and operators of establishments requiring a vaccine pass, failure to implement the measures would make them liable to a €1,000 fine.
Companies failing to comply with work-at-home rules could be fined up to €500 per employee, up to a maximum of €50,000.
More than 76% of French ICU beds are occupied by virus patients, most of them unvaccinated, and some 200 people with the virus are dying every day. Like many countries, France is in the grip of the omicron variant, recording more than 2,800 positive cases per 100,000 people over the past week.
AP News article –No vaccine? No cafe, according to new French virus law (Open access)
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