On the night of Sunday July 25 to Monday July 26, Parliament definitively adopted the bill which provides in particular for the extension of the health pass. The Constitutional Council will examine this text on August 5. It can only be promulgated and therefore enter into force after this date.
- The Constitutional Council must render a decision on the legality of the provisions of the bill expected on August 5.
- Apart from the month of August, the health pass will be extended to cafes, restaurants, fairs and trade shows, as well as planes, trains, long-distance coaches and medical establishments except for emergencies.
- The text makes compulsory the vaccination of caregivers which will be effective from September 15.
Another final check on the legality of the provisions by the Constitutional Council, whose decision is expected for August 5, and the extension of the health pass will be effective. Parliament definitively adopted, on the night of Sunday July 25 to Monday July 26, the bill which provides for the obligation of vaccination for caregivers, the isolation of positive cases of Covid-19 for ten days and the extension of the sanitary pass. At the level of the vote, 156 votes for, 60 against and 14 abstentions ratified the text which translates the announcements of July 12 by Emmanuel Macron to extend the health pass to fight against the spread of the virus, and in particular of the Delta variant.
The health pass extended to many places
Since last week, the health pass concerns all places of leisure and culture bringing together more than 50 people, except for 12-17 year olds, exempt from the health pass until September 30. Apart from the month of August, this will be extended to cafes, restaurants, fairs and trade shows, as well as planes, trains, long-distance coaches and medical establishments except for emergencies. Shopping centers will also be affected, but the requirement for a health pass will be decided by the prefects. For employees in all these sectors, the health pass will be claimed from August 30, otherwise it may be suspended, without payment of salary.
The vaccination obligation for caregivers effective from September 15
In addition, the text makes compulsory the vaccination of caregivers which must be effective from September 15. This concerns the staff of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and retirement homes, firefighters, certain military personnel, as well as professionals and volunteers working with the elderly, including at home. Professionals who refuse vaccination will be banned from practicing, with suspension of salary.
Mandatory isolation for 10 days
The last part of the bill concerns the isolation of people who test positive. This must be respected – with checks from 8 am to 11 pm and a right to leave from 12 to 2 pm – for a non-renewable period of ten days in the place of accommodation that they determine. It may end earlier in the event of a negative test. However, this only concerns non-vaccinated people, those who have completed their vaccination schedule are exempt.
The number of cases continues to rise, hospitals still spared
This Monday, France reached the threshold of 60% of its population with at least one dose of vaccine, or 40 million people. Despite this, the Delta variant continues to cause concern and to increase the number of new daily cases which has exceeded the 20,000 daily mark.
Despite these figures, the fourth wave is not felt in hospitals. Some signs, however, show a tremor, such as the end of the decline in hospitalizations which had been continuous for fifteen weeks. Hospital admissions increased by 55% and those to critical care units by 35%. Figures that are still very far from those recorded during past peaks.
