The bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass took a first step overnight in the National Assembly.
A “tidal wave” with a record of more than 200,000 Covid-19 contaminations in 24 hours: Olivier Véran defended on Wednesday the urgency of the bill transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass, which passed overnight a first step in the National Assembly.
“More than a million French people are currently positive for the coronavirus” and “10% of the French population is in contact,” warned the Minister of Health, in a deep voice, before the Law Commission at the Palais Bourbon. Consequence: the mask becomes compulsory again in the streets of Paris for those over 11 years old from Friday, said the police headquarters.
For the New Year, she also announced the closure of drinking establishments on Saturday January 1 and Sunday January 2 from 2:00 a.m. Earlier, the government announced that nightclubs across the country will keep their doors closed for three more weeks in January.
208,000 new cases Wednesday
While the epidemic is recording records of contamination in France, with 208,000 new cases on Wednesday, the government also intends to accelerate. Validated on the night of Wednesday to Thursday in committee, the bill “strengthening the tools for managing the health crisis” will be discussed Monday in the Chamber of the Assembly, then in the Senate from January 5, for an update. implementation of the vaccination pass on the 15th.
There is an emergency because the unvaccinated have “little chance of passing between the drops, the virus circulates too much”, warned Mr. Véran. Certainly, the English example tends to show that hospitalizations due to Omicron could be “down 50 to 70%” and “shorter”. However, with a very contagious variant, “the health impact is felt”, he added. The LFI deputies but also some LR and an LREM, Pacôme Rupin, against the tide, sought in vain to remove the article creating the vaccine pass.
Against the opinion of the LREM rapporteur, the deputies voted to adapt the gauges in the stadiums and halls, in proportion to their reception capacity. But the measure may not remain in session. Several elected officials fought unsuccessfully to exempt minors from 12 to 17 years of age from vaccination passes. A negative test may be sufficient for school trips, on the other hand voted the majority.
At this stage, the bill transforms the health pass into a vaccination pass “for access to leisure activities, restaurants and drinking establishments, fairs, seminars and trade shows or even interregional transport”, in particular rail. It will therefore be necessary to justify a complete vaccination cycle. “A (negative) test will no longer suffice,” the Prime Minister summed up Monday, except for access to health and medico-social establishments and services.
The Council of State noted that the vaccination pass “is likely to seriously undermine freedoms”. The government also proposes to reserve the possibility of requiring “cumulative supporting documents”, ie a negative test in addition to vaccination, when “the interest of public health and the state of the health situation” would justify it. .
Managers of establishments open to the public will be able to verify identities themselves. The measure provoked lively discussions in committee, right and left being opposed to an “unmanageable” device and preferring to rely on the police.
The deputies specified that the control will consist for the managers of a simple “verification of concordance” of the pass with an “official document with photograph”.
An increase in penalties is provided for in the bill. Presenting a pass belonging to another person or transmitting a pass to another with a view to its fraudulent use will in particular be punished by a fixed fine of 1,000 euros, compared to 135 euros today.
An amendment allowing administrative fines to be imposed on companies reluctant to telework – at least three days a week where possible – will be proposed by the government on Monday.
It also provides for an amendment on “repentance”, that is to say people holding false passes and wanting to be vaccinated.
Several opposition officials criticized the vaccination pass, Marine Le Pen (RN) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) in the lead, citing “a disguised vaccination obligation” and an “inapplicable measure”.
The PS group, on the other hand, voted “on principle” for the vaccination pass, like the majority of LR deputies.
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