The digital certificate put in place for the Covid-19 pandemic will remain active in Europe until the summer of 2023. This Monday, June 13, the European Parliament and the Member States reached an agreement to extend the health pass, it is i.e. the EU Covid Digital Certificate Regulation. It will be in force for another year, until June 2023. While many member states have stopped requiring it at borders, “European lawmakers want to ensure that European citizens can move freely in the event that a new variant emerges worrying”, details the Parliament in a press release.
As a reminder, the health pass is obtained via a vaccination against Covid-19, a negative test or an infection in the last six months. Entered into force on July 1, 2021, it was to expire on June 30, 2022. A decision taken to anticipate a possible resurgence of the epidemic. However, the situation will be reassessed in six months to judge its necessity. According to a statement from Parliament, “MPs insisted that a clause be added, asking the Commission to assess whether the device is still necessary after six months (end of 2022), based on the scientific advice from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Health Security Committee (HSC)”.
As a reminder, the health pass is obtained via a vaccination against Covid-19, a negative test or an infection in the last six months. Entered into force on July 1, 2021, it was to expire on June 30, 2022.
“The epidemiological situation can change quickly, and the EU’s digital Covid certificate has been a key instrument to help us get through fluctuating situations,” said Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner in charge of the file.
And to add: “We are determined to return to unrestricted free movement, and we welcome the decision taken by some Member States to lift all travel restrictions, including the presentation of a Covid certificate.”
If the vaccination pass was suspended on March 14, be aware that the health pass, which you can obtain with a negative test within 24 hours, will still be compulsory for anyone over the age of 12 (accompanying person or visitor) at the entrance to health establishments, retirement homes and establishments for the disabled. Faced with the drop in hospital pressure due to Covid, Olivier Véran however announced at the exit of the Council of Ministers that wearing a mask would no longer be compulsory in public transport from Monday May 16. It remains despite everything “recommended” for fragile characters and those “who feel threatened by the virus”. The end of the wearing of the mask is one of the last major anti-Covid restriction measures that remained in force.
The vaccine pass could make a comeback. While the epidemic reached a peak at the beginning of April with 140,000 cases per day on average, far from the expected rapid decline, Covid-19 remains in France at a very high level. As proof, more than 190,000 new contaminations were noted for the day of Tuesday April 12. If the health pass has disappeared in France since mid-March, the President of the Republic does not refrain from reinstating it in France in the event of a new epidemic outbreak. “The law gave the possibility to the government to use it until July. And so if there was a very strong increase, which was accompanied by a rise in hospitalizations and in intensive care, which leads to a deprogramming of operations, we must not refrain from reusing the vaccine pass”, declared the President of the Republic to Brut.
End clap for the vaccination pass. Jean Castex announced the lifting of numerous health restrictions this Thursday, March 3 during the 1 p.m. news on TF1. The vaccine pass, in force since January 24, will indeed be suspended this Monday, March 14. However, there are exceptions to this general suspension. Indeed, the vaccination pass will be maintained in “health establishments, retirement homes, establishments welcoming people with disabilities who are particularly fragile”. The vaccination obligation will also be maintained for caregivers.
Regarding the mask, after cinemas, restaurants and bars, the Prime Minister announced the end of the wearing of the compulsory mask from Monday March 14 “in all places where it is still [applied]”, “that is to rather say inside”. Here again there are a few rare exceptions of places where it is still compulsory: public transport, where the mask will remain the rule “given the promiscuity” of travelers.
It’s almost the end of the indoor mask. From February 28, wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory in closed places subject to the vaccination pass (bars, restaurants, cinemas, etc.), with the exception of transport (trains and planes included).
According to the site service-public.fr, the reductions in the health protocol which will apply from February 28, 2022 concern:
Regarding the end of the health pass, the Minister of Health was heard this Tuesday, February 22 in the Senate on the possible end of the vaccine pass. Olivier Véran took the opportunity to give a figure for the first time to the Senate fact-finding mission. A number of patients in reanoma conditioning the end of the obligation of the vaccination pass. “We would have to go down to around 1,500 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care, for us to consider that the normal functioning of hospitals is restored”, assured the minister. On Thursday, the Minister of Health repeated “consider lifting the pass in mid-March” if the drop in the number of cases continues, particularly in terms of hospitalizations. Olivier Véran is now considering with “vigilance” and “optimism” the return to a “normal” life “in the coming weeks”.
It may soon be the end of the vaccination pass. It is in any case the hope left by Gabriel Attal this Wednesday, February 9 at the end of the Council of Ministers who mentioned “reasons to hope” that the government quickly lifts the obligation of the vaccination pass. The government spokesperson assured that the executive hopes that “at the end of March-beginning of April, we can lift the vaccination pass.” “There are reasons to hope that by this time horizon, the situation will have improved sufficiently for us to be able to lift these final measures,” he explained. The president of the orientation council for the vaccine strategy, Alain Fischer, had meanwhile estimated before the Senate fact-finding mission that to achieve this, it would be necessary to achieve an incidence rate “at least 10 or 20 times lower than today, and especially that the current hospital overload has disappeared”.
Asked about the “freedom convoys” which should arrive in Paris by this weekend, Gabriel Attal explained that the government was perfectly “lucid” and “aware” of the “weariness” of the French in the face of the crisis. health, but recalled that France was one of the countries having taken “the least restrictive measures”.
From February 15, 2022, the rules surrounding the vaccination pass change for people over 18 years and 1 month old. Indeed, according to the website of the Ministry of Health, from this date, “the booster dose must be carried out as early as 3 months after the end of its initial vaccination schedule and within a maximum of 4 months”. In practice, to continue to have a valid vaccination certificate in the vaccination pass, the person will therefore have one month to carry out their recall.
This measure applies to people over 18 years and 1 month. Indeed, people aged 16 and 17 do not have to do their booster to keep their vaccination pass, even if it is strongly recommended. Concerning 12-15 year olds, they are not subject to the vaccination pass. As part of the health pass, they are not obliged to carry out their recall, even if the recall is open to them.
The ministry’s website lists all the scenarios to know when to do your booster dose:
“One infection = one injection”. This was announced by the Minister of Health on BFMTV this Wednesday evening, February 2. So what does this mean in practice? “If you have had one injection and two infections, if you have had two injections and one infection, and if you have had three vaccine injections, you will keep the benefit of your pass”, detailed Olivier Véran. No more question of compulsory third dose, from now on, “to benefit from the pass, the immune system must have been stimulated at least three times”.
The only exception, people who have been contaminated three times by Covid-19 cannot claim to obtain or keep their vaccination pass. According to the minister, you must have received at least one dose of vaccine “in order to strengthen immunity”. Despite this relaxation of the conditions for access to the vaccine pass, Olivier Véran recommended that the French people be injected with a third dose of vaccine.
Olivier Véran recalled that 7 million people risked losing their vaccination pass on February 15, if they did not take a booster dose. And even taking into account people infected with Omicron, that would still be 4.7 million people. According to the minister, “at least one in two French people” has had Covid since the start of the epidemic, which began almost two years ago.
While more than 52 million French people had received a complete vaccination schedule against Covid-19 as of January 29, some will have to download a new QR Code on February 1. So who are the ones who will have to update their vaccination pass on TousAntiCovid? Indeed, many French people were surprised to see an expiry date appear on their vaccination pass. In reality, this concerns people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, either before their first dose or between their first and second dose of the vaccine.
“People who received a vaccine dose before or after a Covid-19 infection, then a booster dose before February 1, 2022 must update their vaccination certificate to keep a valid vaccination pass”, explained on Twitter health insurance. Health Insurance considered these people to be those who had only received two doses, without having been contaminated by Covid-19, and who therefore had seven months to carry out their recall.
If you are concerned, you can update your vaccination certificate by downloading a new version from the teleservice https://attestation-vaccin.ameli.fr. If you have a problem with the site, you can also go to your doctor or visit a pharmacy to request a copy. It will then be necessary to scan the QR code present on this new application in the TousAntiCovid application.
While more than 52 million French people had received a complete vaccination schedule against Covid-19 as of January 29, some will have to download a new QR Code on February 1. So who are the ones who will have to update their vaccination pass on TousAntiCovid? Indeed, many French people were surprised to see an expiry date appear on their vaccination pass. In reality, this concerns people who have tested positive for the coronavirus, either before their first dose or between their first and second dose of the vaccine. “People who received a dose of vaccine before or after a Covid-19 infection, then a booster dose before February 1, 2022 must update their vaccination certificate to keep a valid vaccination Pass”, explained on Twitter health insurance. Health Insurance considered these people to be those who had only received two doses, without having been contaminated by Covid-19, and who therefore had seven months to carry out their recall.
If you are concerned, you can update your vaccination certificate by downloading a new version from the online service https://attestation-vaccin.ameli.fr. If you have a problem with the site, you can also go to your doctor or visit a pharmacy to request a copy. It will then be necessary to scan the QR code present on this new application in the TousAntiCovid application.
We finally know the exact date of its entry into force. The vaccination pass, succeeding the health pass for people at least 16 years old, came into force from Monday January 24 “subject to the decision of the Constitutional Council” this Friday. This was announced this Thursday, January 20, Jean Castex during a press conference. The government wishes, “relentlessly”, to continue its “strategy of going towards the unvaccinated”. This pass will be used to access leisure activities, restaurants and drinking establishments, fairs, seminars and trade shows and interregional public transport. The only exceptions to his obligation are to go to hospitals, nursing homes and medico-social establishments. Its establishment, which should make it possible to “lift most of the restrictions taken”.
Indeed, from February 2, the end of the outdoor mask will be effective. This is the date on which the gauges will also be abandoned in places open to the public. Regarding these gauges, “all the equipment which welcomes the seated public will be able to find an audience without a gauge, respecting the mask”, also announced Jean Castex. On this same date, telework “will no longer be compulsory”, but recommended “by giving the possibility” to companies “to leave some with social dialogue”. The government will also open, without obligation, the booster vaccine against Covid-19 to all 12-17 year olds. It was currently only open to “chronic pathologies”, but will be “for everyone, starting next Monday” according to the Prime Minister. “Since the announcement of the vaccine pass, more than a million French people who were not vaccinated have taken the plunge,” rejoiced Jean Castex, once again encouraging vaccination. He announced that those who will take their first dose by February 15 will be able to “benefit from a valid vaccination pass on two conditions: to do the 2nd dose well one month later and to justify a negative test of less than 24 hours” .
However, the old health pass may be kept in certain territories by decision of the prefect, but for a limited period. This could be acted “for example in the event of low vaccination of the population as overseas”, notes the government site Vie publique.
Another exception concerns access to interregional transport. In the event of a compelling family or health reason, travelers who do not have a vaccination pass may present a negative test.
After the digital and paper format, you can now present your vaccination pass in credit card format. Since the entry into force of its obligation on January 24, it is necessary for you to go to the restaurant, the cinema or any place of leisure. For those who are too lazy to take out their smartphone to open the TousAntiCovid application, afraid of running out of battery or are tired of tearing their printed paper at the bottom of a bag, the laminated vaccine pass in credit card format is the solution. You can now have your vaccination pass printed on a credit card-sized plastic sheet so you can always have it with you in your wallet. As Le Parisien reports, this DupliPass was created by Evolis, a company based near Angers, and is already deployed in around 200 pharmacies and convenience stores in France.
Nearly 600,000 people are likely to have their health pass deactivated on Saturday January 15, according to figures communicated by the Ministry of Health on Thursday January 13. People who have waited seven months between their last injection or the recovery certificate, and their booster dose, will automatically have their health pass deactivated as of January 15. This is the deadline set by the government. Unless they can present a negative Covid test result dating back less than 24 hours, the people concerned will no longer be able to engage in leisure activities and go to cinemas, restaurants or transport.
Note that the health pass can also be reactivated as soon as the reminder is made. Of the 15.9 million adults affected, 15.2 million people have had their third injection or have a certificate of recovery from contamination, which serves as a third dose.
For people aged over 65 or suffering from comorbidities, who were eligible for a booster dose from the beginning of last September, the deadline was set for December 15.
The government wants to move quickly. After many heated debates and the suspension of the examination twice in the Assembly, the government wants to speed up the pace. However, the bill still has to go through a few steps after the text arrives in the Senate on Monday, January 10, followed, as Gabriel Attal hopes, by “an examination which would end this week”. The spokesperson assured BFMTV that we are moving towards “an application no later than the first days of the week of January 17”.
As a reminder, the text must in all cases be referred to the Constitutional Council. The executive was counting in the first place on an entry into force of the vaccination pass from January 15, but the debates in the Assembly were very hectic and suspended. The adoption adoption was only recorded on Thursday, January 6, two days behind the schedule initially announced. The text was examined by the Senate in committee on Monday, January 10, then it is debated in sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, before returning to the Assembly which will have the last word if the two bodies do not agree.
The senators, mainly on the right, gave this Monday in committee a first green light to the bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass, by providing for an “automatic extinction” mechanism and maintaining the health pass for minors. Automatic extinction would consist in imposing the vaccination pass only when the number of hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 would be greater than 10,000 patients at the national level. The pass would automatically disappear below this threshold.
The entry into force of the vaccination pass provides that only a complete vaccination schedule allows access to restaurants, public transport, cultural venues or even sports venues. A negative test will no longer suffice, except to access health facilities and services.
It is a short sentence that aroused the indignation of the entire opposition. Emmanuel Macron played the provocation this Tuesday, January 4 by assuring in an interview granted to the Parisian that he wanted to “annoy” the non-vaccinated “until the end”. “The non-vaccinated, I really want to annoy them. And so we will continue to do so, until the end,” said the head of state. “Almost all of the people, more than 90%, have adhered” to vaccination and “it is a very small minority which is refractory” that the Head of State wishes to bend. “I’m not going to put them in prison, I’m not going to vaccinate them by force. And so, you have to tell them: from January 15, you can no longer go to the restaurant, you can no longer take a cannon, you you will no longer be able to go for a coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theater, you will no longer be able to go to the cinema… “, detailed Emmanuel Macron.
A sentence which provoked the anger of the opposition in the hemicycle and again led to the suspension in the middle of the night of the examination of the bill on the vaccine pass was again suspended in the middle of the night. “The conditions for a calm work are not met”, declared the chairman of the session, Marc Le Fur (Les Républicains), announcing that the debates would resume on Wednesday January 5 at 3 p.m. The boss of the LR deputies, Damien Abad, castigated the “unworthy, irresponsible and premeditated” remarks which are a matter of “childish cynicism”, while the president of the Republicans Christian Jacob “refused to endorse a text which aims to piss off the French”.
Ugo bernalicis (LFI) denounced a “political crisis triggered by the presidential monarch, who allows himself to insult part of the French”. According to AFP, Olivier Véran tried to calm the anger by explaining the presidential speech. “The evil that is eating away at our country is vaccination, which although important, remains insufficient”, with “millions” of non-vaccinated people, he explained, in vain.
This spoils the beginning of a compromise on the bill on the vaccination pass. Tuesday, January 4 at the start of the evening, the deputies had agreed on the vaccination pass for minors, raised from 12 to 16 years for school outings and peri- and extra-curricular activities, but not for private activities such as going to a restaurant. A compromise voted almost unanimously (386 votes against 2), on the basis of an amendment by the socialist Cécile Untermaier, subamended by the government.
It is now official, it will soon be necessary to be vaccinated to go to the restaurant or the cinema. “Today’s Council of Ministers adopted a bill which will transform the health pass into a vaccination pass”, announced Jean Castex this Monday, December 27, during a long-awaited press conference. Faced with the outbreak of the epidemic due to the high contagiousness of the Omicron variant, “this new rule, if voted by Parliament, will apply from January 15,” said the Prime Minister.
As a reminder, the date of January 15 also corresponds to the deadline set by the government for having carried out the booster dose of the vaccine, which it is now possible to receive 3 months after the last injection. Faced with the proliferation of fake health passes, Jean Castex promised “an increase in sanctions”. “It is not acceptable and we must collectively give ourselves the means to stop it, and to sanction it more heavily”, hammered the Prime Minister. A way to once again put pressure on the more than 5 million French people who are still not vaccinated.
Cafes, restaurants… This Tuesday, December 21, the Prime Minister asked the prefects to tighten the screws on controls in establishments open to the public. According to franceinfo, during a consultation by videoconference, Jean Castex asked the prefects to redouble their firmness during checks in all establishments open to the public (ERP), in particular in cafés-restaurants.
While fake health passes are more and more numerous, the Prime Minister asks the police to multiply checks. According to information from franceinfo, the government would like the staff of café-restaurants to be able to directly check the identity cards of health pass holders to deal with fraud. This is a measure that had been considered, then abandoned, when the health pass was introduced in France and which had aroused the dissatisfaction of professionals in the sector who refused to assume this role of “policeman”. “.
From this Wednesday, December 15, the health pass for over 65s will be deactivated if they have not received a booster dose when they are eligible for it. “People 65 and older vaccinated with double-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca) will need to have received their booster dose (3rd dose) 7 months after their last injection (5 months for eligibility plus 2 months for additional time)”, says the utility’s website.
According to information revealed by RMC, there are currently 400,000 people over the age of 65 who are at risk of losing their pass this Wednesday, according to a clarification given by the Directorate General of Health. Despite the doses, pharmacists are understaffed to meet the high demand. After Emmanuel Macron’s sudden announcements to deal with the fifth wave and anticipate the development of the Omicron variant, the spokesperson for the Syndicate Union of Community Pharmacists, Gilles Bonnefond, assures that pharmacists are overwhelmed by screenings and Covid vaccines. “We have doses, but what is needed is to find arms. Pharmacies vaccinate 62% of all Covid activity in the city. So we are already extremely overloaded”, he specifies with RMC .
For those still unable to get an appointment for their booster dose this Tuesday evening, know that they will be able to receive their injection the same day and their pass will be immediately reactivated according to the Minister of Health. To allow eligible over 65s to get vaccinated quickly, the government has also announced the possibility for over 65s to go to vaccination centers to receive their booster without an appointment.
To make passing through the station more fluid, travelers are encouraged to present their health pass before their trip on the “Prêt à voyage” website. As reported by AFP, in particular relayed by 20 minutes, the SNCF announced this Friday, December 10 that it was going to multiply the checks of the health pass at the station, but also online, upstream of the journey. SNCF has announced that it will intensify its controls to hit one in three trains. “This will force us to strengthen our means of control,” said Alain Krakovitch, director of Voyages SNCF, during a press conference given at Gare de l’Est. 5,000 people are already invested each month to carry out checks in the 20 major stations of the sncf network according to Eliane Barbosa, director of operations at SNCF Gares
New, in order to make passing through the station more fluid as the Christmas holidays approach, travelers are this time encouraged by email and SMS to present their health pass before their trip on the “Prêt à voyage” website on smartphone or on computer. In practice, once the process has been completed, a green insert above the QR Code of their virtual ticket will guarantee that they have a valid health pass. A time saver for both controllers and travelers who will be able to avoid the queue at the station and go directly to the gantry of their train.
The government is tightening the screw. Olivier Véran has announced that the third dose of coronavirus vaccine will become compulsory to keep your health pass from January 15, 2022 for people aged 18 and over, a maximum of seven months after the injection of the previous one.
“From December 15, the health pass for people over 65 will no longer be active if the reminder has not been given within seven months of infection or after the last injection. And from December 15 January this health pass for all other audiences, i.e. French people aged 18 to 64, will no longer be active if the reminder has not been made within this period which remains unchanged from seven months after the last injection,” said the Minister of Health. 80% of patients hospitalized in critical care are over 50 years old. In contrast, only 3.4 million of the 7.7 million eligible people received their booster shots.
Regarding non-vaccinated people, the government is once again pushing them to get vaccinated by forcing them to be tested much more regularly. Indeed, while PCR and antigen tests were once valid for 72 hours, the time limit is now reduced to 24 hours. As a reminder, these tests have now been paid for since October 15, except for symptoms or contact cases. A new measure which clearly aims to convince the last refractory to the vaccine against the coronavirus.
The health pass changes; as the president himself explained during his speech on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Emmanuel Macron indeed explained that it would now be possible to lose him, indicates Le Nouvel Observateur. As of December 15, certain vaccinees eligible for a booster dose must have received it to keep their precious sesame. Otherwise, it will be automatically deactivated six months and five weeks after the last injection, the government spokesperson told France Info.
In detail, continue our colleagues, it is the French and French people over 65 who will be affected first. The others benefit for the time being from a longer period, since the campaign of recalls will not begin before December for those over 50 years old. The Head of State did not specify whether all the populations of France would be subject to this new obligation. The executive has so far limited itself to strong incentives, including in the event of comorbidity factors.
It is clear, in any case, that Emmanuel Macron’s decision was followed by action: Doctolib recorded some 149,000 appointments for a booster dose on Tuesdays. The overwhelming majority of these dates were booked within an hour of the speech.
The deputies have restored the possibility of using the health pass until next summer. On the night of Wednesday November 3 to Thursday November 4, the National Assembly voted the “health vigilance” bill against the Covid-19 epidemic. Importantly, as the government wanted, it decided to restore the possibility of using the health pass until July 31, 2022, a date that the Senate had reduced to February 28 last week. The senators, like the right and left oppositions at the Palais Bourbon, denounce a “blank check” given to the government over a period which “spans” the presidential and legislative elections. As AFP reports, notably relayed by Ouest-France, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran for his part assured that this date made it possible to have “readability and visibility” on the progression of the virus “which continues to circulate” and the means to fight against it. He assured La Dépêche on November 2 that “the health pass is a flexible and very protective tool, which we will keep as long as the situation remains at risk, but which we will lighten as soon as we can”.
In addition to the end date of the use of the health pass, the deputies also reconsidered the decision of the senators to remove a controversial provision allowing school directors to know the vaccination status of students. The Assembly finally rejected the provision introduced by the Senators which aimed to “territorialize” the use of the health pass according to the vaccination rate and the circulation of the virus according to the departments. The Minister of Health estimated this Tuesday, November 2 in his interview with La Dépêche that “this would make its application very complex”: “In one department the pass would be requested for the restaurant and in another, a few kilometers away, it would not be not demanded. It doesn’t seem right to me and so it’s not the path we’ve taken.”
The Senate, mostly on the right, openly opposed the government on the extension of the health pass. While the government is determined “to retain the month of July 2022 as the horizon”, the senators have brought the deadline from July 31 to February 28, the date of the planned suspension of parliamentary work before the electoral deadlines. As reported by AFP, notably relayed by Le Monde, the health vigilance bill, very largely revised by senators, was voted on at first reading by 158 votes in favor – the majority of Republicans (LR) and centrists – , and 106 against. Bruno Retailleau, the boss of the LR group in the Senate, estimated after the vote on the text that “the time has come for a relaxation”. The centrist Nathalie Goulet also judged that the date of February 28 was “reasonable”, refusing to “play Russian roulette” by giving “full powers” to a new president not yet elected.
Another novelty decided by the Senate, the territorialization of the health pass from November 15. The use of the mandatory health pass would indeed be limited to departments that have not reached a vaccination rate of 80% of the eligible population and in which active circulation of the virus is observed. However, the showdown between the government and the Senate is far from over. Indeed, next week, a joint committee (CMP), composed of seven deputies and seven senators, will have to reach an agreement on the bill. In case of disagreement, the National Assembly has the final say. Problem, in the middle of the vote on the budget for 2022, there is not much time for negotiations when a new text must imperatively be adopted before November 15, the deadline for the legal existence of the health pass.
A third mandatory dose to have a health pass? “It’s something we look at, it’s not decided,” replied Elisabeth Borne, the Minister of Labor, this Thursday, October 14 in the morning at the microphone of Europe 1. “When you are an elderly person vaccinated for more than six months, it is really very important, we know that immunity drops sharply after six months, so it is absolutely necessary to do this third dose”, justified the minister, assuring that nothing had yet been decided. Sonia Mabrouk then questioned him about the need for this measure which could “penalize the French”. “You know, we are here to protect the French against the virus,” replied the minister. This Wednesday, Gabriel Attal did not want to decide on this subject. “Today, the third dose is not required as part of the health pass,” he explained, hinting that this could change.
“The participation of all citizens in the political life of the Nation is one of the founding principles of our Republic. The exercise of this fundamental right requires the free organization of political meetings.” This is what Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, writes in a letter sent to the presidents of the parliamentary groups revealed exclusively by the RMC political service. A more than surprising and contradictory announcement when we know that the health pass should be extended beyond November 15 according to the government spokesperson who announced that it should continue to be compulsory “until summer” 2022.”
We are perhaps far from having finished with the health pass. This QR code could indeed be maintained well after November 15, the date initially announced for its end. Indeed, the government spokesperson announced this Wednesday, September 29 at the exit of the Council of Ministers that the measure should in fact be extended “until the summer” of 2022. “We have reason to be optimistic, but the eighteen months that have passed have shown us that we must remain cautious. We must give ourselves the means for several more months to give ourselves the possibility of resorting to measures, if necessary, to protect the French “, detailed Gabriel Attal. “What we want, what we are going to propose to Parliament, is to maintain for several more months, until the summer, the possibility of using it,” he concludes. However, the circulation of the virus is very low in many departments.
As a reminder, from this Thursday, September 30, minors aged 12 to 17 must present a health pass at the entrance to all places where it is already required for adults. This is particularly the case for cinemas, bars, restaurants, fairgrounds or in long-distance transport.
Soon the end of the health pass? While the health situation continues to improve, Emmanuel Macron convened a Defense Council this Wednesday, September 22. Indeed, according to data from Guillaume Rozier, creator of Covid Tracker, “the drop in the number of positive cases continues in France, while 6,982 are detected each day on average, or -27% over one week”. At the end of this meeting, government spokesman Gabriel Attal explained that “there will be no local adaptation or reduction of the health pass”. It remains maintained in all departments. A statement contrary to the remarks of last September 16 by Emmanuel Macron, who assured that we would soon be able to “allow ourselves in the territories where the virus circulates less quickly to lift certain constraints and to live normally again”.
According to Gabriel Attal, it is “thanks to the health pass that we have been able to keep closed establishments open, and massively encourage vaccination”. As a reminder, the health pass, in force at least until mid-November, will concern adolescents aged 12 and over from Thursday, September 30. However, he announced an adaptation of the wearing of the mask from Monday, October 4 in the school environment. Wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory for primary school students for departments with an incidence of less than 50. In this case, they will no longer be able to wear it, both outside and inside. In departments with an incidence rate of less than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the gauges of establishments open to the public, such as museums or cinemas, will also be lifted.
Emmanuel Macron welcomed this Thursday, September 16 the “results” of the health pass and envisaged the lifting of “certain constraints as soon as the health conditions allow it”, including that of the health pass in places. “As soon as the sanitary conditions allow it and, in my opinion, when I see the figures, it will not come so late”, we will be able “to allow ourselves in the territories where the virus circulates less quickly to lift certain constraints and to relive normally”, rejoiced the Head of State during the Meetings of the Union of Local Businesses (U2P). Invoking his “pragmatism”, he said he was ready to “lift the pass, in the places where it is put, where the virus hardly circulates anymore”.
In addition, after the entry into force of the vaccination obligation for nursing staff which came into force on Wednesday September 15 for 2.7 million professionals in the hospital sector, nearly 3,000 suspensions have already been pronounced. “Yesterday there were some 3,000 suspensions which were served on staff of health or medico-social establishments who had not yet entered a vaccination course”, indicated the Minister of Health this Thursday, September 16. on RTL. He also believes that since Wednesday there have been “a few dozen resignations”.
Olivier Véran, however, wanted to put the number of suspensions into perspective by recalling that we “are talking about an audience of 2.7 million employees”. The Minister of Health has indeed stressed that “many of these suspensions are only temporary” and concern “mainly support service personnel”, “very few white coats”. The Minister assures that the “safety and quality of care were ensured yesterday in all hospitals and medico-social establishments”.
As a reminder, the law of August 5 provides that offending caregivers, who do not justify a first injection, a vaccine contraindication or recent contamination, “can no longer exercise their activity”.
The health pass could be extended beyond November 15 “if the Covid does not disappear from our lives” by this date fixed by law. This is what the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, said on Thursday August 26. “This pass cannot be extended beyond November 15, otherwise we would need a new law, which would again be debated in Parliament,” explained the Minister of Health. The Minister of Health returned to the health situation in France on the eve of the start of the school year. “I’m not saying it can’t happen, it could happen if the Covid doesn’t disappear from our lives in the next three months,” said the minister. The Minister affirmed that “the last reluctance is falling in the face of the success of the health pass” which, associated with an “effective testing system and the massive vaccination of the French”, has “allowed us to go through the summer without confinement despite a wave of highly contagious variant”.
Coronavirus, vaccine, health pass … Jean Castex took stock at the dawn of the start of the new school year this Thursday August 26 on RTL. “The health pass in the company is not relevant”, announced the Prime Minister, wishing to give “priority” to the vaccination campaign. The health pass “is one tool among others” but “the purpose is vaccination”, he insists. However, the vaccination obligation will remain imposed on caregivers from September 15. Jean Castex assured on RTL that the government will not “back down” on the subject and that the sanctions provided for against recalcitrant employees will be “implemented” on this date. “We will not back down: from 15 (September) the sanctions provided for by the legislator will be implemented”, affirmed Jean Castex on RTL. The nursing staff indeed have until September 15 to receive the first dose and until October 15 to receive the second. “When we do this profession, we must believe in science and medicine, and we are there to protect our fellow citizens”, insisted the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister also announced that people over 65 and people with comorbidities will be able to resume appointments from September 1 for their third dose. The Prime Minister recalled that “vaccination protection in some people – the most fragile, the oldest – is falling”.
From September 30, the health pass will be compulsory for teenagers in order to go to the cinema, to the restaurant, to take the train or to participate in extracurricular activities. An obligation that had been announced for 12-17 year olds. The government had not thought of a practical problem: children under 12 are not entitled to be vaccinated. About 200,000 adolescents born around September 30 therefore had to present a health pass without having had time to be vaccinated. Faced with this approximation, Le Parisien reveals that the health pass will ultimately only be compulsory from the age of 12 years and 2 months. “The decree will be drafted in this sense,” Matignon told the daily. A delay that will allow young people to be vaccinated.
From this Monday, August 30, the health pass becomes mandatory for employees of restaurants, cafes, museums, cinemas or even large shopping centers. In all, some 1.8 million French people are affected. Compulsory in health places since August 9, the health pass must now be presented by people who work in the following places:
Employees working in these establishments must therefore present a certificate of complete vaccination, a negative test of less than 72 hours or proof of recovery from Covid-19 of at least 11 days and less than 6 months. Employees who do not comply with this obligation will not be dismissed but suspended without pay. Guest of the Grand Jury of RTL / LCI / Le Figaro this Sunday, August 29, the government spokesman Gabriel Attal however promised a certain tolerance at first with a week of “flexible pedagogy of running-in as we did at each deadline”.
For many French women and men, the gesture has become habitual, routine. However, it is heavy with meaning: anyone who scans the QR code of an individual with a health pass mechanically collects a certain amount of information about this person. But what does he know exactly? That’s the question Liberation decided to answer in its CheckNews section.
If we refer to the law of August 5, 2021, only the data “strictly necessary for the exercise of their control” are recorded. In practice, this generally includes surnames, first names, age and date of birth; in addition to the status of the vaccination course or the possession of valid proof.
In fact, some people involuntarily expose more information… Some of which is theoretically not useful for control. Among them are the following, continues Liberation:
Some Internet users have also shown, on video, how easy it was to recover all this information…
Since Monday, August 16, the health pass has been compulsory in shopping centers and stores located in departments where the incidence rate exceeds 200 per 100,000 inhabitants. After bars and restaurants and trains, there are now 120 shopping centers which are therefore subject to the obligation of the health pass since Monday August 16. As a reminder, the government has required that health pass checks be carried out for shopping centers with an area of more than 20,000 square meters in departments where the incidence rate exceeds 200 per 100,000 inhabitants over a week. In addition to Paris and four departments in its suburbs (Seine-Saint-Denis, Val d’Oise, Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine), this concerns the Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône , Charente-Maritime, Corse-du-Sud, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gironde, Hérault, Landes, Pyrénées-Orientales, Rhône, Haute-Savoie, Var and Vaucluse and since this Tuesday, Isère and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
You may not know it, but it is possible to lose your health pass. Nothing very complex about that, in truth: it is enough to misplace the document that the doctors will have sent to you after the injection of your last dose of vaccine or, even more simply, to have been vaccinated before the introduction of the device .
While sesame has become essential to enjoy the end of summer and continue to lead a life as normal as possible, it becomes essential to recover it. Since its extension on Monday August 9, 2021, it may even be more important than ever.
Luck cost, reminds France 3, it’s not very difficult either. Far from it ! Just remember to connect to Ameli, the health insurance site. It will allow you to recover the coveted document.
This Monday, August 9, 2021 marked the final kickoff of the extended health pass in France. From now on, this precious sesame is required to go shopping in certain shopping centers or enjoy a drink on a restaurant terrace. However, informs Le Parisien, some places are visibly more likely to be controlled than others.
In any case, this is what the Ministry of the Interior said, this Sunday, August 08, 2021, continue our colleagues. The Beauvau teams then explained that the various internal security forces would carry out priority “controls in uniform, as in civilian clothes, in places whose access is subject to the health pass”.
And the gendarmes like the police to specifically target, notes the ministry, “urban and tourist areas” as well as “gathering places where the risk of contamination is greatest”. You know what to expect.
As a reminder, the police will not be on the front line in this matter: it is up to restaurateurs, bar keepers, cinema owners and other establishments concerned to conduct the first check of the health pass. The police and the gendarmes take care of identity checks.
The Constitutional Council has ruled on the text of the law relating to the management of the health crisis which the elected representatives of the two chambers of Parliament had already validated. For the most part, as the Prime Minister welcomes, it has been validated. This means, as the government spokesperson explained, that the system will be extended from August 9, 2021. Everyone will therefore have to present their certificate if they want to have a drink on the terrace or enjoy a meals inside a restaurant, for example.
However, some of the most controversial measures have been censored by the guarantors of the constitution, observes Liberation. Not enough to prevent the “full deployment of the control strategy” against the epidemic, believes Jean Castex, but these are sufficiently important points to be noted. Here is the list:
The extension of the health pass could come into force from Monday August 9, 2021. It was to concern all French women and all French people aged at least 12. However, minors have until September 30 to obtain this precious sesame which will limit access to a whole range of places likely to receive the public. More details about this later in the article.
It is important to note, however, that the extension of the health pass is not yet definitively confirmed. Of course, the text relating to the health law was voted by the two chambers of Parliament. But it still has to go through the hands of the Constitutional Council, which will consider the issue on Thursday August 5, 2021. This is, potentially, the last step before its implementation.
Until then, many rallies and strikes are to be expected. Several notices have indeed been filed in many French cities…
While the great crossover of Augustians and Julyists will begin this weekend with an expected influx of more than a million travelers in SNCF stations, its CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou clearly indicated this Thursday, July 28 that the controls in the trains would be done from August 9, “the day when the law will be in force”. “There is a law and we are here to apply the law. We will be ready,” he said, according to AFP. Regarding the mode of control, the CEO of the SNCF evokes “massive controls, everywhere and all the time”. “That doesn’t necessarily mean exhaustive, because we simply don’t know how to do it”, he specifies.
Jean-Pierre Farandou assures that the checks of your health passes will be done “rather on the ground, not far from the boarding gates when there are any”. “There may also be checks on board (…) with brigades of controllers reinforced by Suge agents and even checks on arrival”, possibly with the assistance of the police. “We have 21 major stations, which account for 70% of TGV traffic. These stations will be particularly treated”, announces the CEO of SNCF. “I remind all our travelers who are going to take a train, it’s: a ticket, a mask and a health pass”, specifies the CEO of SNCF Voyageur, Christophe Fanichet, with franceinfo.
It is now official. It is from Monday August 9 that the law providing for the extension of the health pass will be effective. It was government spokesman Gabriel Attal who announced it on Wednesday July 28 at the end of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday July 28. “The Constitutional Council has indicated that it will render its decision on August 5, the law will therefore be promulgated immediately after, with an entry into force which we plan for August 9”, explained Gabriel Attal. The government plans to show some leniency during the first week of implementation. “For the players in transport, catering, bars and the players who will apply the health pass from this date, there will obviously be this time of adaptation and running-in at first”, assured the carrier. government word.
The Minister Delegate for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, had indicated a little earlier on BFMTV / RMC that the health pass would be effective “between August 7 and 10”. The Minister notably recalled that this pass concerns domestic flights, TGV, Intercités and night train journeys. Regarding the trains, he said that the controls would be “massive”, but “not systematic”.
The bill on the anti-Covid health pass was finally adopted this Sunday, July 25 in the evening after midnight after a final vote in the Senate and Parliament. Parliamentarians finally reached an agreement on Sunday on the controversial bill which sparked numerous demonstrations across France. The vaccination obligation for caregivers has been confirmed as well as the extension of the health pass to cafes and restaurants from the beginning of August. However, this agreement leads to modifications of the text. Planet details for you what the new text changes.
This is a step back granted by the government. The non-application of the health pass in the company should normally open the possibility of dismissal of the employee by establishments open to the public such as museums, bars or restaurants. This dismissal for non-compliance with the health pass was not ratified in the final version of the bill on the health pass voted in Parliament. The sanction was indeed softened and instead of the dismissal, it is finally the suspension of salary which was retained. Employees without a health pass will be invited to take leave first, then unpaid leave. Thus, even without a salary, employees would remain employees of their company.
Shopping centers will ultimately not escape the health pass. The measure on the application of the health pass in shopping centers was the subject of much debate after the opinion of the Council of State which considered that this provision was “likely to concern in particular the acquisition of goods of basic necessities, in particular food”, which would be “a disproportionate attack on freedoms”. The subject was debated this Sunday in a joint joint committee. She had noted that the health pass would only be requested in restaurants located in shopping centers. However, a last-minute government amendment authorized the prefects in a very controlled manner to impose the application of the health pass for certain shopping centers and was finally validated. In practice, it will therefore be up to the prefects to impose a health pass at the entrance to shopping centers of more than 20,000 square meters. Access to essential goods and services as well as transport must in all cases be ensured. To escape the health pass, professionals in the sector have decided to write an open letter to the Minister of Health in which they propose to install large-scale vaccination centers in all the commercial centers of the country. “In return for a non-obligation to present the health pass, we propose to the Ministry of Health to install vaccination centers in all of our 21 shopping centers”, indeed suggested to the Parisian Anne-Sophie Sancerre, Managing Director Southern Europe of Unibail-Rodamco Westfield (URW), which operates, among others, the Forum des Halles in Paris, Les 4 temps in La Défense, and La Part-Dieu in Lyon.
The senators did not win their case. The obligation to present a health pass will be maintained for minors in France. The measure had been excluded by the Senate, but the text adopted by the National Assembly finally retained the extension to minors aged 12-17. It will become mandatory for them from September 30. This is the result of the agreement reached between senators and deputies.
This is a measure that now becomes mandatory. Isolation for 10 days after a positive coronavirus test will now be a legal requirement. In the version of the bill adopted by the National Assembly this Sunday, July 25, the control of this isolation has however been reduced. Indeed, it was the Senate that wanted the control not to be systematically done by the police. Thus in practice, it is first the Health Insurance or the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) which will ensure compliance with the measure and may, if they think that this is not the case, seize the prefect in case of suspicion.
If you are positive for coronavirus, you will therefore have to self-isolate for 10 days with exit times between 10 a.m. and noon as well as in the event of an emergency. In the event of non-compliance with the isolation, you will be fined 1,500 euros. Note that the isolation may end before the 10-day period in the event of a negative test. You can also challenge the measure if you consider it abusive before the judge of freedoms and detention.2
It is a turn of the government that will change the lives of the French. This Monday, July 12, Emmanuel Macron announced that faced with the spread of the Delta variant, the health pass would be extended to avoid a fourth epidemic wave. Objective of the President of the Republic: “to vaccinate the maximum number of people everywhere, at any time”. If it does not make vaccination compulsory, the extension of the health pass will be done in many places in stages. A shock measure which, according to him, is “the only way to a return to normal life”. Thus, from July 21, this sesame will be compulsory to access all places of leisure and culture receiving at least 50 people, against 1,000 previously. This concerns performance halls, games and sports halls, i.e. amusement and leisure parks, museums, cinemas and theaters, but also libraries or fairs, according to a decree issued this Tuesday, July 20 in the Official Journal. According to the text of the decree, we speak of “cultural, recreational, sporting or festive activities as well as fairs or trade shows”.
Another novelty of the decree, the wearing of a mask will no longer be compulsory for the public in all places where entry is conditional on the health pass. This was announced by the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, on RTL. Thus, if you have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for one to four weeks depending on the vaccine, you can go to the museum, the theater or an amusement park without a mask. According to the decree, “the obligations to wear a mask (…) are not applicable to people who have accessed establishments, places and events” subject to the health pass.
From the beginning of August, the health pass will then be extended to cafes and restaurants, shopping centres, hospitals, retirement homes as well as long-distance transport in trains and coaches.
In restaurants, before entering an establishment, you must therefore have a choice of:
The Council of State says no to checks in shopping centers. The highest administrative court challenged this Monday, July 19 the obligation to present a health pass in “large shopping centers”, provided for in a bill presented to the Council of Ministers. This was announced by government sources according to AFP, notably relayed by La Provence. In its opinion, the Council of State considers that this provision is “likely to concern in particular the acquisition of basic necessities, in particular food”, seeing it as “a disproportionate attack on freedoms”. The Council of State mentions in particular the case of people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and who will therefore have to be “tested very regularly” in order to be able to go to these shopping centers. The obligation of the health pass therefore remains very uncertain after the opinion of the Council of State even if the government seems to want to maintain this obligation.
Jacques Creyssel, general delegate of the Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution (FCD), assured this Thursday, July 15 on BFMTV that “the health pass requirement will concern shopping centers of more than 20,000 square meters”. Regarding the controls, he decides on the question of whether they will be at the entrance to the center or in the stores. Contrary to Alain Griset, Minister Delegate in charge of SMEs, who believes that the methods of the controls have not yet been fixed, he assures that “the controls will be carried out at the entrance” to the shopping centers in order to avoid excessive mixing. of population. Controls that will be the responsibility of shopping centers, which will have to hire new security guards. Faced with these additional financial charges, the question of possible State compensation may thus arise. “And what will we do if it goes wrong? We can consider calling in the police”, wonders in particular the general delegate of the FCD.
Jean-Philippe Pelou-Daniel, the director of the Lyon Part-Dieu shopping center, expressed his anger at the press this Friday, July 16. Four days after the President of the Republic’s announcements, he calculated that at a rate of 30 seconds per person, a health pass check before being able to enter his Lyon Part-Dieu shopping center would generate a 17 km queue at the main of the 22 entrances to the center. He assures that it is materially “which seems impossible to us” at France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The shopping center manager adds that this would entail costs with the recruitment of 70 to 80 additional guards, vaccinated, by the end of the month. Security guards who “are not authorized to carry out identity checks. They cannot replace the police,” protests Jean-Philippe Pelou-Daniel, who requests a postponement of the extension of the health pass to September 15 and wants random checks by law enforcement.
Guest of the 1 p.m. newspaper of TF1 after a new Defense Council, Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed that no health pass will be required in schools. A decision which goes against the call of the High Council of Public Health which asked for an extension to colleges and high schools. “Our whole strategy since the start of the crisis (…) has consisted in ensuring that the children of France are educated as much as possible. So we are not going to say now, if you are not vaccinated, especially since some can’t do anything about it, we will deprive you of school”, assured the Prime Minister. Jean Castex took the opportunity to announce that the government was going to strengthen the vaccination of adolescents aged 12-17 in schools, colleges and high schools at the start of the school year. “We are going to put the package to vaccinate adolescents”, recalled the Prime. As a reminder, for teenagers the health pass will only be required from the end of September.
After the opinion of the Council of State, the sanctions for non-control of the health pass will finally be relaxed. The government has indeed included in the bill that failure to check the health pass will ultimately result in a fine of 1,500 euros for a natural person and 7,500 euros for a legal person. A sanction which becomes criminal from the third recidivism, of 9,000 euros and 1 year of imprisonment for a natural person and 45,000 euros and 1 year of imprisonment for a legal person according to Gabriel Attal. For non-control of compulsory vaccination, the fine would increase to 45,000 euros for the legal person responsible for the control, but again only from the third recidivism.
In practice, checks on the health pass will be the responsibility of merchants, who may, in the event of non-checking of their customers, be sanctioned. The bill, relating to the extension of the health pass and unveiled by the Context site and relayed by BFMTV, initially provided for a heavy penalty of 45,000 euros in fines and up to one year in prison for the person responsible for establishment that would not control its customers or users. According to Les Échos, after formal notice remained without effect, the prefects could also order the closure of the establishments in question, in particular restaurants or shopping centers. Regarding users or customers, they will be fined and fined 135 euros.
The Ministry of the Interior told LCI, “both (traders and customers, editor’s note) can be verbalized, but that the philosophy of control is above all the control of those who are in charge of applying the pass (establishments) and the vaccination obligation (employers). Understand therefore that the managers of the establishments concerned by the extension of the health pass are in the sights of the government. An offense specific to this health pass should be included in the bill which must be presented on July 19 in the Council of Ministers.
Screening tests or vaccination, digital or paper format… Planet explains how to obtain your health pass. Several possibilities are envisaged to recover your health pass.
1 – For the vaccination certificate:
Cafés, restaurants, museums or shopping centers… “Only those who have been vaccinated and people who have tested negative will be able to access these places, whether they are customers, users or employees”, announced the Head of State on 12 last July. A government bill will soon be presented to Parliament and will detail the establishments concerned by the obligation, thus giving the right to employers to control the certification of employees. In the meantime, “we are giving an additional period, until August 30, for employees of establishments welcoming the public to be vaccinated”, assured the Minister of Health on July 13. They “must have received their first dose of vaccination no later than August 1, otherwise from August 30, it will be a test every two days if they want to continue working”.
