French parliament approves introduction of vaccine pass
The bill changing France's health pass into a vaccine pass which bars the unvaccinated from venues including cafés, gyms and long-distance trains has been approved by the French parliament and is expected to enter into effect this week.
MPs in the Assemblée nationale voted on the bill's final reading on Sunday evening, with 215 in favour of the vaccine pass and 58 against.
France has had a health pass in place since the summer, requiring visitors to venues including bars, restaurants, cafés, gyms, leisure centres, theatres, cinemas, tourist sites, large gatherings and long-distance trains to show either proof of vaccination, proof of recent recovery from Covid or a negative Covid test.
However, the passing of this bill means means that only proof of vaccination will be accepted for the pass.
READ ALSO What changes when France's health pass becomes a vaccine pass?
The new rule is expected to come into force this week, with Friday, January 21st suggested as a likely start date.
The government's original planned start date was January 15th, but the bill was delayed several times as it passed through the Assemblée nationale on the first reading, the Senate and then back to the Assemblée nationale.
Some of the opposition parties have said they intend to appeal to the Constitutional Council, which considers whether new laws or decrees in France comply with the country's constitution.
For people who are already vaccinated and use either a paper vaccination certificate or the TousAntiCovid app to enter health pass venues, nothing will change.
But unvaccinated people will be shut out of a wide range of leisure and cultural venues, although vaccination is only mandatory for health workers in France.
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MPs in the Assemblée nationale voted on the bill's final reading on Sunday evening, with 215 in favour of the vaccine pass and 58 against.
France has had a health pass in place since the summer, requiring visitors to venues including bars, restaurants, cafés, gyms, leisure centres, theatres, cinemas, tourist sites, large gatherings and long-distance trains to show either proof of vaccination, proof of recent recovery from Covid or a negative Covid test.
However, the passing of this bill means means that only proof of vaccination will be accepted for the pass.
READ ALSO What changes when France's health pass becomes a vaccine pass?
The new rule is expected to come into force this week, with Friday, January 21st suggested as a likely start date.
The government's original planned start date was January 15th, but the bill was delayed several times as it passed through the Assemblée nationale on the first reading, the Senate and then back to the Assemblée nationale.
Some of the opposition parties have said they intend to appeal to the Constitutional Council, which considers whether new laws or decrees in France comply with the country's constitution.
For people who are already vaccinated and use either a paper vaccination certificate or the TousAntiCovid app to enter health pass venues, nothing will change.
But unvaccinated people will be shut out of a wide range of leisure and cultural venues, although vaccination is only mandatory for health workers in France.
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