NIGHTCLUB. Night establishments, closed since December 10, are reopening today. With what protocol? The news.
[Mis à jour le 16 février à 12h14] It’s the big day for managers of night establishments and for revelers: the party is back in France with the reopening, this Wednesday, February 16, of nightclubs. In line with the easing of health measures linked to the wave of the Omicron variant and a new wave of Covid, the government is lifting several bans today, including the closure of nightclubs, pronounced on December 10.
Ten weeks of curtain down for night establishments, which were able to have government financial assistance during this period. Needless to say, this date of Wednesday February 16, twice postponed by the executive, is expected by professionals and the public alike. But then with what protocol will this reopening be done?
In the health protocol for the reopening of night establishments, the government indicates that the vaccination pass is compulsory in all discotheques, clubs and dance bars. To have a vaccination pass, you must present one of three proofs, i.e. a certificate of vaccination (complete vaccination schedule, booster dose within the time allowed), a certificate of recovery (positive test for more than 11 days and less than four months) or a certificate of contraindication to vaccination. Professionals in the sector will also be able to verify the identity of the client by asking him for an identity document.
the mask is recommended in nightclubs, for customers, as well as for the staff of the establishment. Consumption while standing is permitted, and gauges removed: clubs can accommodate an audience corresponding to 100% of its capacity. Hydro-alcoholic gel must be made available to the public. Another point of this protocol, the opening of changing rooms in discotheques and the mandatory display at the entrance of the health instructions, the maximum gauge of the establishment and an incentive to download and activate the Tous Anti application. Covid. The full health protocol is available on the site of the government.
In an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex had initially announced the closure of nightclubs for a period of four weeks, from Friday December 10 until Thursday January 6, 2022 inclusive. before extending for another three weeks, pushing the reopening date to January 24. Finally, with this new press conference given by Jean Castex and Olivier Véran this Thursday January 20, the nightclubs will be able to reopen on Wednesday February 16, 2022.
After initially announcing four weeks of closure from December 10, 2021, the government had extended the measure for three additional weeks: from Monday January 3 and therefore, until January 24, 2022 (at least), the nightclubs were to remain closed. Given the health situation, this reopening date seemed premature.
The nightclubs, closed for sixteen months, only reopened on July 9, with a strict protocol. Protocol to which the mask was added again after a speech by the Minister of Health on November 25, 2021. Nightclubs were among the places where the rate of Covid-19 contamination is the highest.
As revealed by the new part of the ComCor study by the Institut Pasteur relayed by The Parisian, private parties, bars and nightclubs stand out as being the most at risk: among those under 40, the risk of contamination increases by 340% (150% among those over 40) compared to a person who does not have not frequented a disco. For comparison, a car trip with other people increases the risk by 30%. It is with this study that the government justifies the closure of nightclubs.
Nightclubs and discos closed in March 2020, in line with government measures taken to stem the coronavirus pandemic in France. If the restaurants, cinemas, museums and theaters had reopened first, just like the libertine clubs or the dance cafés, the managers of the night establishments had waited longer for the green light from the government.
After months of vagueness, the date of July 9 was finally that of the opening, after having been confirmed by the government, Alain Griset, former Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. According to calculations by the SNDLL (National Union of Nightclubs and Leisure Places), of the 1,648 nightclubs in France before the pandemic, 25% were in difficulty when they reopened, and 131 were in liquidation. Only 1,500 nightclubs could have reopened. Their new closure, for ten weeks between December and February 2022, will have been a new blow for the profession.