COVID LAW. Thursday, July 21, parliamentarians reached an agreement for the bill which extends certain health crisis management measures.
[Mise à jour le 21 juillet à 18h47] Thursday July 21, after a meeting in a joint joint committee, the deputies and senators reached an agreement for a new “Covid law”, which should make it possible to extend certain measures put in place during the health crisis. Among the most significant announcements, parliamentarians validated the possibility of reinstating unvaccinated caregivers, if the High Authority for Health expresses its agreement. In an article, The world indicates that the SI-Dep database is maintained. This lists the results of virological tests and should facilitate travel to Europe. Finally, the senators voted for a measure giving the government the possibility of reestablishing a virological test control before entering France.
What can we learn from this law?
This law includes a significant reduction in most of the devices used to fight the virus. This new law “on monitoring and health safety in the fight against Covid-19“is not binding, since the government does not intend to put in place drastic measures and is currently using the incentive lever. François Braun, the Minister of Health, confirmed this in the columns of the Parisianfavoring the civility of the population: “I want to make our fellow citizens understand that it is important to protect themselves against the virus, but we are not going to redo a law every time there is a wave. We must succeed to adjust our behavior when viral circulation resumes. We will have other waves, scientists tell us. Afterwards, if a new dangerous variant appears…”
What does the new Covid bill provide?
The new draft law on “monitoring and health security in the fight against Covid-19“was validated by parliamentarians, Thursday July 21, 2022. It must still be examined by the National Assembly and by the Senate, Monday July 25 or Tuesday July 26. The deputies voted on a first version of the text on the night of July 12 to July 13, after tumultuous debates, which included an article providing for the end of the state of emergency as well as the extension of the collection and computer processing of screening and contact case data: this collection will be authorized until on January 31, 2023 (against March 31, 2023, the date initially provided for by the government text) if the law is definitively adopted.
Will a border health pass be required?
The article which provided for the possible establishment of a “border pass”, a sort of health pass at national borders, was rejected by a large part of the deputies of the left, the National Rally and the Republicans. The senators, however, voted the possibility of leaving the government the possibility of reestablishing a virological test control on entry into the national territory. In its amended version (but therefore not final), the bill establishes a special system: for foreign travelers entering France, a negative test could be required in the event of the appearance of a new variant deemed dangerous. The possibility of a control for people coming from the DOM-TOMs has also been added, it could be introduced if there is a “risk of saturation” of the overseas health system. The text does not provide for any need to present a document justifying a vaccination or Covid recovery to enter France.
The joint joint committee validated this senatorial version, with one exception: in its new version, the bill restores the possibility of requiring a PCR test for minors over 12 at the borders, as well as for travel between Overseas and France.
Any news on wearing a mask?
The bill does not provide for any return of the mask or any new vaccination obligation. But, at the moment, nothing is definitively recorded.
What does the end of the state of health emergency mean?
The new Covid law will ratify a decision to which the vast majority of parliamentarians consent: 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 still cannot exercise. In the National Assembly, the deputies of France insubordinate and the National Rally supported their reinstatement, pointing to the staffing deficiencies of the public hospital. On this very sensitive point, the senators have changed the bill, entrusting the decision to the High Health Authority (a point validated by the joint joint committee): if this body decides in favor of their reinstatement, unvaccinated caregivers will be “immediately” back to their posts. Remember that the government has a line on this point: trust the scientific authorities. The Academy of Medicine has already expressed its opposition to the reinstatement of suspended health personnel, pointing out their irresponsibility in this regard in the face of the risks they would allow their patients to take.