VACCINE PASS. Can we believe that despite the new epidemic wave, the anti-Covid device will never resurface? The new text of the health law which is due to come into force in August 2022 does not mention it, however.
[Mis à jour le 5 juillet 2022 à 13h11] While the Covid-19 is gaining ground with 110,000 positive cases recorded in France this Monday, July 4 and an incidence rate which reaches nearly 1,100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Public Health France, the vaccine pass does not yet appear not in the new draft law on “vigilance measures” which will take effect on August 1, in place of the law on the state of health emergency which expires on July 31.
Interviewed on the show Sunday in politics on France 3 this Sunday, July 3, the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet confirmed that the vaccination pass was not provided for in this new text of law entitled “health watch and security” which will be submitted to the National Assembly from July 11. The new bill aims to maintain certain tools as part of the management of the pandemic, but not the vaccination pass. It will be examined from next Monday in the National Assembly. Olivier Véran, new government spokesperson, explained that this new bill “will make it possible to extend some absolutely essential provisions to deal with the continuation of the Covid-19 epidemic in our country”. “On the other hand, all the other measures to fight the epidemic (…) are no longer part of this bill,” he confirmed.
Indeed, in the new health bill consulted by our colleagues from France Inter, the possibility of activating this tool for checking the vaccination status is not mentioned. The first article extends until March 31, 2023 the devices for epidemic surveillance and identification of contact cases (the SI-Dep and Contact Covid computer files). The second provides for the possible implementation of border control systems, such as the health pass only, if a worrying variant were to spread rapidly abroad, which was confirmed by Olivier Véran, the new spokesperson for the government of Elisabeth Borne. This new bill should take effect on August 1 if it is validated by Parliament.
The vaccination pass is governed by a law on the transitional regime of the state of health emergency which officially ends it on July 31, 2022. The government has chosen to no longer impose the vaccination pass in the new law entitled “monitoring and health security which will take effect on August 1. “The virus is circulating actively again, but the impact on the hospital system is weak”, justified the Prime Minister to the presidents of parliamentary groups.
The vaccine pass, suspended on March 14, will finally have lasted less than two months, since it only came into force on January 24, 2022. To reactivate the vaccine pass, the government would have to pass another law. .
Is the vaccination pass still necessary to travel?
From the moment your journey takes place in France, the vaccination pass is no longer required to take the plane, a train or a long-distance bus since March 14, 2022. But if you are traveling abroad, the health rules are different depending on the country of destination. Some member countries of the European Union may require a negative test, proof of vaccination or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19. It is advisable to inquire beforehand about the France Diplomacy website. To travel to countries such as Portugal, Spain, Germany or Italy for example, it is still mandatory to present a digital EU COVID certificate.
How to get the EU digital COVID certificate?
To travel to one of the member countries of the European Union, an EU digital COVID certificate is required for travelers aged 12 and over. Since February 1, 2022, it is obtained by one of these three proofs:
- A vaccination certificate : if you have an initial vaccination schedule (one dose of Janssen vaccine or two doses of Moderna, AstraZeneca or Pfizer), the digital EU COVID certificate is valid from the 14th day to the 9th month (270 days exactly) “depending on the ‘administration of the last dose of the primary vaccination schedule’ specifies the official website of the European Union. If you have taken a booster dose (for travelers over 18 in addition to the initial vaccination schedule), then your digital EU COVID certificate has no validity limit at this time.
- A test result negative for Covid-19 : antigen test valid for 24 hours or RT-PCR test valid for 72 hours. However, it is advisable to check the period of validity of the negative test required according to the European country via the France Diplomacy website.
- A certificate of reinstatement at Covid-19 : valid from the 14th day to the 9th month (270 days exactly) “following the first and only dose after the recovery of an infected person” specifies the official website of the European Union. In addition, people who have recovered from Covid-19 within 180 days of traveling to the European Union have a valid Covid-19 recovery certificate.
These rules only apply to vaccination certificates used for the purpose of traveling within the European Union, which are checked at borders. They are not the same in a national context.
Is a booster dose necessary to return to France from abroad?
In the European context, people aged 18 or over wishing to enter the national territory must have received a booster dose no later than 9 months (exactly 270 days) following the injection of the last dose of the primary vaccination schedule (one dose of Janssen vaccine or two doses of Moderna, AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines). It should be noted that the vaccination pass is “reactivated as soon as the person has made his vaccination reminder”, underlines the government website.
Do I have to take a negative test to return to France from abroad?
Since February 12, 2022, the rules at the borders of the national territory have been relaxed. Vaccinated travelers “within the meaning of European regulations” no longer need to present a negative test to return to France, “regardless of the country of origin”, specifies the Ministry of the Interior website.
For “unvaccinated travellers, the obligation to present a negative test to travel to France remains, but the measures on arrival (test, isolation) are lifted when they come from countries on the green list, characterized by a moderate circulation of the virus”, specifies the ministry. “When unvaccinated travelers come from an orange list country, they must continue to present a compelling reason” and will always be subjected to “a random test on arrival”. “Travellers who test positive will have to isolate themselves, in accordance with the recommendations of Health Insurance”, adds the ministry’s website.
What controls of the vaccination pass, test or certificate of recovery at the borders?
Travelers aged 12 and over entering a European Union member state are systematically checked by air or sea. They must provide a valid European Digital COVID Certificate. Equipped with a QR Code that the authorities scan with the TousAntiCovid Verif application, the European Digital COVID Certificate is a tool that makes it possible to “streamline and accelerate” border controls. The philosophy of this European pass is to “find freedom while guaranteeing the best possible health security”, explains the government in a press release.
To date, the 27 member countries of the European Union and 35 non-EU countries (and territories) have joined the EU’s digital COVID certificate system, of which the “vaccination pass” is a part. than the negative antigenic test or the immunity certificate.
The EU digital COVID certificate is required for travelers crossing the borders of 27 member states of the European Union : France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Croatia, Greece, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Denmark, Poland, Finland , Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic, but also in the countries of the Schengen area located outside the European Union : in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway, then in the principalities of Monaco and Andorraand in the following countries outside the European Union : Albania, Armenia, Benin, Cape Verde, El Salvador, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Panama, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore , Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man), Uruguay and Vatican.