Bruno Le Maire ensures that the health pass will only apply to large shopping centers



The government continues to educate around the health pass, while demonstrations against health measures are linked throughout France. This Sunday, it is the turn of the Minister of the Economy to specify some outlines of its implementation. Bruno Le Maire thus ensures in the Sunday Newspaper that only the largest shopping centers should be affected by the obligation to control the health pass from the beginning of August.

“Business leaders have concerns, I want to reassure them: we will show understanding. We are therefore proposing that only the largest shopping centers, with an area greater than 20,000 square meters, are concerned, ”indicates Bruno Le Maire. According to him, “a consensus of the profession on this threshold is within reach”.

A bill must be adopted in the Council of Ministers on Monday, a week after Emmanuel Macron’s announcements. This high threshold of 20,000 square meters was the one on which the profession had counted for several days. It is the same that was chosen in February, when the government closed non-food shopping centers of more than 20,000 square meters, or about 400 centers in France, a threshold that was lowered the following month to 10,000 square meters in departments at risk.

The question of the place of control

The shopping centers discussed all week with the government to define the modalities of application of the health pass, and in particular of the place where it would be controlled. “How to control, in stores? A priori at the entrance of the center, once again to be confirmed, a priori tomorrow, ”said Thursday Jacques Creyssel, of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, on BFM Business. “The health pass should not affect the turnover of the sectors concerned, which we also continue to support throughout the summer thanks to the solidarity fund. Presenting a QR code only takes a few seconds and it protects against the risk of contamination, ”explains Bruno Le Maire.

Regarding sanctions, “it would be unfair for those who respect the rules and who will have the health pass checked at the entrance to their establishment to be penalized by those who do not respect these rules”, also underlines the Minister. “Sanctions must be dissuasive, they must not be excessive. It will be up to parliamentarians to debate it on the basis of the government’s proposal and the bill that will be presented tomorrow in the Council of Ministers. We have always clearly indicated that those who do not respect the rules will no longer be eligible for the solidarity fund ”. The health pass will also be extended to trains, bars and restaurants in particular.



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