COVID LAW. Faced with the resumption of the epidemic, the deputies have been discussing since Monday evening the new Covid bill, which must take over from the state of health emergency. Here’s what to remember.
While Covid-19 contaminations are blazing again in France, the new bill “now provisionally a monitoring and health security system in the fight against Covid-19“ arrived at the National Assembly on the evening of Monday July 11, after the debate on the motion of censure. A text whose purpose is to take over from the state of health emergency, decreed in March 2020 and which will officially end on July 31, 2022. Here is what this new government bill contains.
The imminent lifting of the state of health emergency will officially put an end to the “health and vaccination pass in the daily life of the French”, recalled the Minister of Health François Braun. On the other hand, the new text of the law under discussion in the Assembly plans to establish a “border pass” from the beginning of August. During this summer holiday period, this flow control measure towards our territory aims to limit the circulation of variants of Covid-19. The border pass would take the same form as the health pass known a few months ago: it could be a negative test, proof of vaccination or a recovery certificate, to be presented when crossing borders. French.
The Covid bill also aims to extend the collection of screening and contact case data, as well as their computer processing. These data, centralized in the SI-DEP and Contact Covid files since the law of May 11, 2020, would see their processing authorized until January 31, 2023. The government text originally provided for an extension until March 31, 2023, but the opposition demanded and obtained a withdrawal of the extension.
What does the end of the state of health emergency mean?
The state of health emergency, voted on March 23, 2020, will end on July 31, 2022, after multiple extensions. This particular situation allowed the government to take exceptional measures concerning the restriction of freedom of movement, in particular confinements and curfews, or even the establishment of a health or vaccination pass. With the end of this state of health emergency, the government will see itself reduced to the field of possibilities for combating the Covid-19 pandemic: it will no longer be able, for example, to make it compulsory to wear a mask in public spaces, or still decree maximum gauges in certain places.
Will unvaccinated caregivers be reinstated?
Suspended in 2021 because they refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19, around 15,000 caregivers are still waiting to be able to return to their duties. In the National Assembly, the deputies of the Nupes and the National Rally support their reinstatement, pointing to the staffing deficiencies of the public hospital. However, this “is not on the agenda”, decided Monday François Braun, the Minister of Health, triggering boos from part of the hemicycle.