(Paris) A “tidal wave” with a record of more than 200,000 contaminations with COVID-19 in 24
hours: Olivier Véran brandished Wednesday before the deputies these “figures which make you dizzy” to defend the bill aimed at transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass.
“More than a million French people are currently positive for the coronavirus” and “10% of the French population is in contact”, warned, in a deep voice, the Minister of Health, before the Committee on Laws of the Assembly.
Consequence: the mask becomes compulsory again in the streets of Paris for those over 11 years old from Friday, announced the police headquarters. In the morning the government announced that nightclubs will keep their doors closed for three more weeks in January.
While the epidemic is recording records of contamination in France, with 208,000 new cases on Wednesday, the government has also decided to accelerate.
In committee from this Wednesday despite the parliamentary break, the bill transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass must be discussed Monday in the hemicycle of the Palais Bourbon, then in the Senate from January 5, for an implementation hoped for on the 15th. January.
For the government, it is urgent 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.
MEPs began reviewing 250 amendments at the end of the afternoon. The elected LFI but also some LR and an LREM, Pacôme Rupin, against the tide, sought in vain to delete article 1er creating the vaccination passport.
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 deputies from all sides have sought in vain to exempt minors from 12 to 17 years of age from vaccination passports, stressing in particular that it is not for them under 16 to decide whether or not to be vaccinated and that they were less prone to severe forms of the disease.
The majority preferred to vote an amendment providing that a negative test, proof of vaccination status or a certificate of recovery will suffice for young people aged 12 to 17 for school trips.
At this stage, the bill transforms the health passport into a vaccination passport “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 social establishments and services “, which the Council of State would like to see also extended to” compelling reasons of nature family “.
In its opinion, the highest administrative court notes that the vaccination passport “is likely to infringe particularly strong freedoms”.
Increased sanctions
The government also proposes to reserve the right to require a “cumulative supporting document”, that is to say a negative test in addition to a vaccination certificate, when “the interest of public health and the state of the sanitary situation Would justify it.
The managers of establishments open to the public will have the possibility, in the event of proven doubt, to verify the identities themselves.
An increase in penalties is provided for in the bill. Presenting a passport belonging to another person or transmitting a passport to another with a view to its fraudulent use will be punished by a fixed fine of 1000 euros against 135 euros currently.
And the possession of a false passport will be punished by five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
An amendment allowing administrative fines to be imposed on companies reluctant to set up telework – at least three days a week where possible – will also be proposed by the government.
It also provides for Monday an amendment on repentance “”, that is to say people holding false passports and wanting to be vaccinated: “the stake” is that “no one is deprived of vaccine”, indicated Mr. Véran.
Several opposition officials criticized the vaccination passport, 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, will vote “in principle” for the vaccination pass, like the majority of LR deputies.