To go out and travel, you will soon have to show a white paw. As President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday evening in his speech, the health pass will be extended in order to stem a fourth epidemic wave of the highly contagious Delta variant. An extension planned in two stages: from July 21, the health pass will be required to attend “places of leisure and culture” such as theaters and cinemas. It will also be necessary “at the beginning of August” to access cafes, restaurants – including on the terrace – shopping centers, including for staff, but also in planes, trains or long-distance coaches, or even medical establishments.
A measure whose implementation in the coming days is causing concern among families who are preparing to go on vacation and who fear not being able to access many places and activities. But which is also feared by traders and professionals in the world of culture who rely on the summer season to fully resume their activity. 20 minutes takes stock of the issues raised by this tight schedule.
When will people who make an appointment to be vaccinated have their valid health pass?
By announcing the extension of the health pass in such a short time, the Head of State has tightened the pressure on vaccine hesitant, ready to take advantage of the lifting of health restrictions without necessarily taking the leap of vaccination. By linking the freedom of access to cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other places of culture to the presentation of a health pass, the Head of State wanted to convince this population to be vaccinated, while the Delta variant now represents the majority of new coronavirus contaminations. A bet a priori successful: since its announcements Monday evening, approximately “1.7 million French” have made their vaccination appointment, indicates the Doctolib platform. Figures that explode, after the drop in appointments for a first dose of vaccine observed in recent weeks.
🔴 800,000 French people made their two vaccination appointments on Doctolib today (stopped at 4 pm). This represents 1.7 million French people since yesterday. #VaccinationCovid
– Doctolib (@doctolib) July 13, 2021
But for people who have not yet received any dose of vaccine, they will have to wait before obtaining their health pass. In addition to the waiting times which will lengthen after the peak of appointments made in the last 24 hours, it takes at least four to five weeks depending on the vaccine received to be considered fully vaccinated: fifteen days after the second dose of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca serum. If it is administered “within a minimum of 21 days” after the first dose for messenger RNA, recalls the Ministry of Health, it takes a period of 9 to 12 weeks between two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or a pass sanitary facilities valid at the end of summer at the earliest, or even at the beginning of autumn.
How do traders, restaurateurs and actors in the cultural sector, whose establishments will be accessible only to people with a health pass, welcome this extension?
On the side of traders, owners of restaurants, cinemas, theaters and other places affected by the extension of the health pass, the announcement had the effect of a hammer blow. Received this Tuesday in Bercy by the Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, professionals in these sectors request the postponement of this extension to early September, deeming it “technically not possible” to apply for their employees, young and few. vaccinated. “Our employees are young, they have an average age of 30 or 32 years, they were prohibited from access to vaccination until June 15 and there they are asked to be vaccinated on August 1,” said Hervé Becam, vice-president of the main hotel and catering organization, Umih.
The first phase of this extension also worries the cultural sector. “Culture is targeted in a very short timeframe, while other sectors, including less supervised such as bars and restaurants will be affected in August. We do not understand why, as on several occasions during this crisis, culture undergoes measures before the others ”, regretted this Tuesday Marc-Olivier Sebbag, general delegate of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), on franceinfo, which deplores a “too hasty” schedule.
Are adolescents aged 12 to 17 affected – and penalized – during the summer holidays by the extension of the health pass?
Eligible for vaccination only since June 15, 12/17 year olds wishing to be vaccinated have not all had time to receive their two doses of vaccine. As many parents prepare to go on vacation with their children, could the entry into force of the expanded health pass deprive families of access to restaurants or museums if their teenagers are not fully immunized? “The health pass will apply to children from the age of 12,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal replied on Tuesday after the Council of Ministers. However, we are pragmatic and as always, we will use common sense, ”he added. And since “the number of adolescents who have received a complete vaccination schedule is now low, it is out of the question to impose on them and their families a hellish summer because of the health past”, he reassured .
Will unvaccinated people still be able to take free screening tests to have a health pass?
Issued to people with a complete vaccination schedule, the health pass is also granted to people with a positive PCR or antigen test dating back more than 11 days and less than six months, the recent contamination being worth a dose of vaccine. For others, it is possible to obtain a health pass against the presentation of a negative PCR or antigen test dating back less than 48 hours.
However, the government has announced the end of free PCR and antigenic comfort tests, frequently taken in the absence of symptoms before traveling or attending certain events. But this free service will not end until October. It will therefore always be possible this summer to get tested for free to obtain your health pass.