This announcement comes at a time when several events, such as the Angoulême comic book festival or the Nantes international performance biennials, have canceled their edition.
Fairs, amusement parks and zoos will ultimately not be affected by the gauges imposed from Monday because they are “places where we walk», Announced the government Thursday, specifying that they are however subjected to health protocols. “This protocol specifies that it is necessary to set up traffic lanes, to ensure that there is not too much proximity between people, etc.», Said the Minister for Tourism and SMEs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the return of the gauges set at 2000 people maximum indoors and 5000 outdoors, for “curb the Omicron variant», From January 3 and for three weeks. “We distinguish between static gatherings and places where people walk», Declared Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne to justify this exemption made to fairs, shows, amusement parks and zoos.
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For amusement parks, however, the gauge applies in projection room type spaces “as for other cultural groups», Detailed Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. The vaccination pass should also apply to fairs, exhibitions, parks and zoos which are currently subject to the health pass, “since all the places affected by the health pass switch to the vaccination pass on January 15“.
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Several events already postponed
Tuesday, the event sector said “amazed”By the limitation imposed on 2000 people indoors, fearing a series of cancellations of fairs and shows, and he had asked for aid from the government. Several events have already been canceled, such as the 49th Angoulême International Comics Festival, initially scheduled for January 27 to 30. Or the Nantes International Biennials of Performance, which expected several hundred exhibitors and 10,000 people on January 19 and 20. Despite this late update by the government, new announcements of postponements were expected, such as the Museum Connections Paris trade fair, which will be held at the end of March rather than in January.
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“In January 2022 alone, 130 events have already been canceled and a loss of figure of around 1 billion euros and as much in economic benefits for the territories“, Assured Tuesday evening in a press release Renaud Hamaide and Pierre-Louis Roucaries, the co-presidents of the French Union of event professions (Unimev) which has 400 members.
The application of the gauges also makes the sports sector fear a lack of revenue even if some say they are relieved to escape the camera. The musical world to which, in addition to the gauges, it is imposed the ban on standing concerts sees several concerts canceled or postponed.
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Some artists like Grand Corps Sick are ironic by presenting their candidacy for the presidential election or by renaming their concert “meeting” since they are not subject to restrictions because the French Constitution does not allow the setting of gauges, nor to impose health pass, political meetings and places of worship. The presidential candidates are also divided on the application of the gauges in their campaign rally.
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In Spain, the authorities decided on Wednesday to reduce the level of stadiums to 75% of their capacity, and to 50% for closed sports halls. In Quebec, shops, bars, restaurants, theaters but also places of worship and sports halls have to reduce their capacity by 50% since last week. Discos and karaoke have been closed again and sports competitions put on. France has a record-breaking Covid-19 contamination record with 208,000 new cases on Wednesday, after around 180,000 during the previous twenty-four hours.
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