Faced with the scale of the fifth wave and the arrival of the Omicron variant, the Prime Minister announced new restrictions, starting with the transformation, after a bill tabled in January, of the health pass into a vaccine pass. What does this imply ? We take stock.
- Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the tabling of a bill in early January transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass.
- The vaccination pass will no longer take negative tests into account, but only a complete vaccination schedule.
- The Minister of Health Olivier Véran also announced that all caregivers and firefighters must have received their 3rd booster dose by January 30, 2022.
This is one of the solutions favored by the government to encourage offenders to finally get vaccinated and to deal with the outbreak of new infections.
In a televised address on Friday December 17, Jean Castex announced the upcoming transformation of the health pass into “vaccination pass”. According to Le Figarothe bill should be examined by the Council of Ministers at the start of the school year, on Wednesday 5 January, before being discussed in the National Assembly from Monday 10 January.
Negative tests excluded from the vaccination pass
What does this modification imply? As the Prime Minister clarified, this means that this vaccine pass can no longer be activated with a negative PCR or antigen test, but only thanks to a complete vaccination schedule. “From now on, only the vaccination will be valid in the pass”he stressed, adding that the bill submitted to Parliament in early January also provides for “tighten the conditions of control and sanctions against false passes”.
The vaccination pass will be required to enter all leisure venues, including restaurants, museums and cinemas. It could also be extended to access to trains. “This should be clarified soon”said Jean Castex, but “the work track” is that “trains currently subject to the pass are subject to this vaccination obligation”added a ministerial source interviewed by AFP.
“We assume to put pressure on the unvaccinated, because the critical care and resuscitation services of our hospitals are filled, for the most part, with unvaccinated people”recalled the Prime Minister, adding that“it is not acceptable that the refusal of a few million French people to be vaccinated puts the life of an entire country at risk and affects the daily lives of the vast majority of French people who have played the game since the start of this crisis “. Efforts will also be made by the public authorities to raise awareness “populations that may have missed out on vaccination due to ignorance or because they are traditionally the furthest from the healthcare system”.
Vaccination reminder obligation for caregivers
Among the other announcements made by the Prime Minister, that concerning the third dose of vaccination. This one “will be possible as soon as we have passed the period of four months compared to the previous injection and no longer than five months”.
Guest of France Inter this Saturday, December 18, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran also specified that the government intends “strengthen the vaccination obligation for caregivers and firefighters by integrating this third dose from January 30” 2022.
The head of government also called for caution on Friday during year-end rallies. “Rather than a precise number, let’s rely on a principle of common sense: the fewer of us, the less risk we take. Let’s avoid big parties, big gatherings, big dinners”. He also invites “each and everyone, vaccinated or not, to test themselves in the hours preceding” the eve of Christmas.
As for the New Year’s Eve concerts and fireworks, he asks the brides to cancel them. Consumption of alcohol on public roads will also be prohibited in order to limit the spread of the Omicron variant.
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