France: Covid pass for everyday activities comes into effect
Paris, Aug 9 (EFE).- Everyday activities in France such as going to a cafe or a bar will only be allowed for those holding Covid-19 certificates starting Monday.
The document certifies whether the holder is vaccinated, has recovered or tested negative for the coronavirus.
The controversial measures, which also make it mandatory for all health care workers to be fully inoculated by mid-October at the latest, will apply to everyone over the age of 18 and will be underway until November 15.
French citizens lined up outside a pharmacy in the northern part of the capital Paris to buy antigen tests, which are currently covered by French social security.
“Saturday was a very quiet day, but today it seems that there will be more people for the tests,” the pharmacy’s manager told EFE.
Antigen testing, which must be conducted in the 72 hours prior to access, will also be valid to enter bars, restaurants or hospitals, and travel long-distance domestically.
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the French minister of transportation, said on Monday that the use of health certificates in transportation aims at promoting coronavirus vaccination.
The heath pass has been in force since July 21 and is mandatory for access to theaters, cinemas, museums and other cultural and sports centers.
According to the French interior ministry, more than 230,000 people took to the streets to protest the measure in the country last Saturday.
The latest figures show that since the start of the vaccination campaign in December, 44.7 million citizens have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, 66.4% of the total population, and 37.2 million have the full course, 55.2%. EFE
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