A “race against the clock” against Omicron: barely two weeks after the government’s announcement to want to transform the health pass into a vaccination pass, the bill arrives Wednesday in committee at the National Assembly, fifteen days before its expected entry into force.
The government has accelerated its schedule, despite some criticism from the opposition: initially scheduled for application at the end of January, the text will be examined by the Law Commission at the Palais Bourbon on Wednesday, after a hearing at 2:30 p.m. with Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
The text will then be discussed in the Senate Chamber from January 5 and its entry into force is scheduled for January 15.
At this stage, the bill transforms the health pass into a vaccination pass “for access to leisure activities, restaurants and drinking establishments, fairs, seminars and trade shows or even interregional transport”, in particular rail.
It will therefore be necessary to justify a complete vaccination cycle and, contrary to what is in force today, “a test will not be enough”, summarized Monday the Prime Minister Jean Castex.
The mere presentation of a negative test would however remain valid “for access to health and social institutions and services”, which the Council of State would like to see also extended to “imperative reasons of a family nature”.
In an opinion issued on Monday, the Council of State notes that the vaccination pass “is likely to seriously undermine freedoms”. And therefore suggests that the “certificate of reinstatement” of Covid-19 can be considered “as a substitute for proof of vaccination status”, “under defined conditions”.
– Increased penalties –
The government also proposes to reserve the possibility of requiring “cumulative supporting documents”, that is to say a negative test in addition to a vaccination certificate, when “the interest of public health and the ‘state of health “could justify it.
12-17 year olds will be affected by the vaccination pass, “a coherent choice” according to the Council of State which has also deemed “necessary” the “verification of the identity of customers by professionals”, to “prevent recourse to fraudulent documents “.
Monday, Jean Castex confirmed that the managers of establishments open to the public “will have the possibility, in the event of proven doubt, to verify the identities themselves”.
The Prime Minister said he was “scandalized” by the false health passes and recalled that an increase in sanctions was provided for in the bill.
According to the Chancellery, the fact of presenting a pass belonging to others or transmitting a pass to others for its fraudulent use will now be punished by a fixed fine of 1,000 euros against 135 euros currently.
And the possession of a false pass will be punished by 5 years of imprisonment and a 75,000 euros fine.
An amendment allowing administrative fines to be imposed on companies reluctant to set up telework will also be proposed by the government, the office of Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Tuesday.
Jean Castex announced Monday “the use of telework (…) in all companies and for all employees for which it is possible at a minimum of 3 days per week and if possible 4 days”, “from Monday and for a period of three weeks “.
Several opposition officials have criticized the vaccination pass, Marine Le Pen (RN) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) in the lead, referring in particular to “a disguised vaccination obligation” and an “inapplicable measure”.
The PS group will however vote “in principle” for the vaccination pass, just like the LR deputies, the executive welcoming a “very broad consensus” of parliamentary groups.
Members will finally be invited to extend the state of health emergency until March 31, 2022 in Martinique and to declare it until the same date in Reunion.
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