Issued on: 07/26/2021 – 01:00
The French parliament passed a law early Monday mandating special virus passes for all restaurants and domestic travel, and mandating vaccinations for all health workers.
Both measures have sparked protests and political tensions.
President Emmanuel Macron and his administration say they are needed to protect vulnerable populations and hospitals as infections recover and to avoid new lockdowns.
The law requires all healthcare workers to start vaccinating by September 15 or risk suspension. It also requires a “health pass” to enter all restaurants, trains, planes, and some other public places. It will initially apply to all adults, but will apply from September 30th to all persons aged 12 and over.
To get the passport, people will need to show that they are fully vaccinated, recently tested negative, or have recently recovered from the virus. Papers or digital documents are accepted. The law provides that a government decree regulates the handling of vaccination documents from other countries.
The bill was presented just six days ago.
Legislators worked the night and weekend to reach a compromise version that was approved by the Senate on Sunday evening and by the National Assembly after midnight.
The rules can be applied until November 15th, depending on the virus situation.
Macron called for national unity and mass vaccination to fight the resurgent virus and hit those who fueled sentiment and protests against the vaccine.
Around 160,000 people protested across France on Saturday against a special COVID-19 pass for restaurants and mandatory vaccinations for health workers. Many protesters shouted “Freedom!” and said the government shouldn’t tell them what to do.
When Macron then visited a hospital in French Polynesia, he called for national unity and asked: “What is your freedom worth if you say to me ‘I don’t want to be vaccinated’ but tomorrow you will infect your father, mother or me ? “
While he said the protesters are “free to express themselves calmly and respectfully,” he said demonstrations will not make the coronavirus go away.
He criticized “people who are active in the business of irrational, sometimes cynical, manipulative mobilization” against vaccinations. Among those who organized the protests were far-right politicians and extremist members of the French yellow vests movement, who took advantage of the anger against Macron’s government.
More than 111,000 people have died from the virus in France, which registers around 20,000 new infections every day, compared to just a few thousand earlier this month. Concerns about hospitals are reappearing.
(AP)