Restaurateurs in areas of maximum Coronavirus alert must keep a file, in order to be able to call customers back in the event of possible contamination. But what is the risk of giving a false name, as some people do today?
The French territory is now divided into several zones, which do not have the same health requirements. The areas most affected by Covid-19 (one of the criteria being when the share of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units reaches 30%) have been declared on maximum alert. Currently concerned are Aix-Marseille, Guadeloupe, Paris and three departments of the inner suburbs (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne), Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Toulouse and Montpellier.
The strengthened health rules mean that restaurateurs have the obligation to keep a reminder book, listing names and telephone numbers, in order to contact their customers in the event of an alert. And already, some people are offended by this measure … For them, this rule does not allow sufficient protection of personal data, since the names and telephone numbers are entered in a notebook that circulates freely among the customers of the restaurant. It can then be tempting for the defenders of this position to give false coordinates. Apart from the fact that leaving a false name or number will not allow you to be warned in the event of potential contamination, do you risk a sanction?
In practice, not really. Only restaurateurs have the obligation to have you fill out the reminder book, and are liable to penalties if they do not do so. Therefore, any refusal to complete the notebook may mean a ban on entering the establishment. But legally, that's about the only risk clients face right now. However, if the situation escalates, the restaurateur is entitled to call law enforcement for a report. Either way, if you want to help your favorite eateries and protect others, don't register under Aya or Beyonce's name, and don't attempt to write down your ex's number – we advise you to be honest!