France Introduces New Measures: Covid Passport to enter Cinemas, Museums, Matches
People who want to go to cinemas, museums, sports matches and other cultural events in France will have to show proof of the Covid-19 vaccine or a negative test starting Wednesday, as the country faces a sudden jumping new cases of coronavirus highly transmissible Delta variant.
A so-called health passport will be needed for all events or venues with more than 50 people before it expands to restaurants, cafes and shopping malls in August, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a televised address last week. When entering sports and cultural events, visitors can remove their face masks, which remain mandatory in shops, businesses and public transport.
The masks are now again mandatory outside in the southern part of France on the border with Spain, the eastern Pyrenees district, as well as in much of the western French district near Bordeaux, a popular tourist destination where the number of newly infected is growing, a news agency reported.
Wearing masks is mandatory from Tuesday in Toulouse and other nearby cities.
Health Minister Olivier Veran warned on Tuesday of an increase in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19 when 18,000 cases were recorded in 24 hours.
"That means we increased the spread of the virus by about 150 per cent last week, we've never seen that before," Veran told parliament as he began debating stricter rules aimed at encouraging vaccination.
Possession of a Covid-19 passport is regulated by a decree, while lawmakers will vote to extend the possession of a health pass to restaurants, trains and long-haul planes.
From September, the vaccine will be mandatory for both health workers and retirement home workers, many of whom were particularly cautious or refused to be vaccinated.
More than 100,000 people...
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