“I have information that the vaccine pass could be reactivated from August 1st”. This was declared Monday, June 27 by the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi on the occasion of a metropolitan council of the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis. This is enough to worry some, in the middle of the summer, despite the rebound in the Covid-19 epidemic carried by sub-variants of the Omicron family, including BA.5, which are even more transmissible. The excerpt was then relayed on social networks.
But, this Tuesday, June 28, the president of the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis backpedaled: “No, no, I have no information.” “Those who have deduced all this, naturally, are those who do not listen and do not analyze in detail the words that have meaning,” he added on CNews.
Christian Estrosi clarified his speech on a possible return of the vaccine pass: “I listen to airline managers. (…) We can imagine that from the end of July, beginning of August, for border crossings, it risk of having a request for a vaccination pass”.
A health pass on arrival in France, Corsica and overseas?
This is precisely a measure envisaged by the executive. According to a draft bill aimed at maintaining “a health monitoring and security system” until March 2023, published by the Atlantico website and whose authenticity was confirmed on Friday June 24 to AFP by the Ministry of Health, the government plans to use the health pass on arrival in France, Corsica and overseas. This document, however, does not provide for extending beyond July 31 the possibility of restoring the state of health emergency, nor a health or vaccination pass to restrict access to certain places or gatherings.
The text, which must be presented and examined in July, contains three articles, including that authorizing the Prime Minister to impose by decree the presentation of a health pass (negative test, proof of vaccination or certificate of recovery) from 12 years old to “move to or from French territory, Corsica or one of the” overseas communities. This border pass could also apply “to personnel involved in the transport services concerned”. The government also wants to extend until March 31, 2023 the SI-DEP computer files (results of screening tests) and Contact Covid (infected people and contact cases).
In addition to the return to the health pass in certain cases, the government also intends to promote the return of the mask, without however signing the return of obligations and restrictions. Elisabeth Borne asked the prefects and health authorities on Tuesday to encourage the wearing of masks “in crowded places” and “enclosed spaces”, in particular “public transport”, in the face of the resurgence of Covid-19 cases, announced Matignon. The Prime Minister, who brought together by videoconference on Tuesday prefects of departments and directors of regional health agencies, took up several of the recommendations made on Monday by the Minister of Health Brigitte Bourguignon, suspended since her defeat in the legislative elections, and who has received her second booster dose.
“Recommendations”, without “mandatory character” but which intervene when the incidence rate of the epidemic “has doubled in one week on almost all of the metropolitan territory and in all age groups of the population”, underlined Matignon.
The Prime Minister also asked that everyone “check their vaccination schedule”, in particular the French over 60 and the most fragile who “must benefit from the second booster dose”, that is to say their fourth injection. They must also receive “in the coming days awareness emails” from Health Insurance, said Matignon.