VACCINE PASS. This Wednesday, February 23, 2022, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal indicated that due to the decline in the Covid-19 epidemic, the next measure lifted by the government would be the vaccination pass. When will it be removed? Under what criteria did the Minister of Health Olivier Véran mention?
[Mis à jour le 23 février 2022 à 16h08] This Wednesday, February 23, the government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed, during the usual press briefing following the Council of Ministers, that the mask would no longer be compulsory in places subject to the vaccination pass outside transport from this Monday, February 28, and that “the next step should be the lifting of the vaccination pass and the obligation to wear a mask indoors“provided that the situation is” normalized in hospitals “. We could, according to the projections of the Pasteur Institute, reach this by mid-March”, he added, reiterating the words of the minister Health yesterday, before the Senate Social Affairs Committee.
This Tuesday, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran indeed mentioned a total or partial lifting of the vaccine pass in mid-March before the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee, detailing the 3 essential criteria for this abolition. Which are they? What date of the end of the vaccination pass mentioned? In which places will the mask be lifted on February 28? All the answers to your questions below:
What are the criteria for ending the vaccination pass?
Given the improvement in the health situation, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced before the Senate on Tuesday February 22 that the vaccination pass could be lifted. “in mid-March in all or part of the places where it applies“, i.e. before its end date regulated by law: July 31, 2022. But it nevertheless conditioned the end of the vaccination pass on three conditions:
- A normal hospital situation: “We would have to go down to around 1,500 Covid patients in the sheave, for us to consider that the normal functioning of hospitals is restored”, explained Olivier Véran on February 22 before the Social Affairs Commission of the Senate.
- An incidence rate “fairly low, around 300 or 500 at most”.
- The virus reproduction factor R “permanently less than one”.
Where are we in relation to these projections? On Wednesday February 23, government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced a “health horizon” which “is clearing up a little more every day” and an “epidemic collapse” which “is continuing” with, in particular in one week, a number of cases down “by 40%” and an incidence rate now “less than 845 per 100,000 inhabitants”. “In one month, the incidence rate has been divided by more than 4”, he detailed.
Gabriel Attal also welcomed the improving hospital situation: “over the past week we have crossed a very significant symbolic threshold by falling below 3,000 patients in intensive care for Covid”. Finally, the virus’ reproduction factor R is today “significantly less than 1, which proves that the peak of the epidemic wave of Covid-19 is further and further behind us”. The vaccine pass will most certainly be lifted in “mid-March as announced by Olivier Véran this Tuesday before the Senate”, concluded the government spokesperson.
In which places subject to the vaccination pass will the mask no longer be compulsory?
From February 28, the mask will no longer be compulsory in closed places subject to the vaccination pass, i.e. in all establishments open to the public, with the exception of transport. “Wearing a mask indoors will be maintained in transport and closed places not subject to the vaccination pass. In other closed places subject to the vaccination pass, wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory”, details a Press release of February 11 written by the Ministry of Health. The mask will no longer be compulsory in the interior spaces below subject to the vaccination pass, with the exception of transport (TGV, Intercités, night trains):
- Cinemas
- Museums and monuments
- Theaters and other performance halls
- Concert halls and festivals
- Party rooms
- Libraries
- discos
- Trade shows, fairs and seminars
- Restaurants, bars and cafes
- Campsites, hotels and holiday centers
- Casinos and other gaming halls
- Sports establishments (sports hall, gymnasium, ice rink, horse riding stables, etc.)
- Theme parks
- Boat cruises of more than 50 passengers
Long-term transport subject to the vaccination pass, i.e. TGV, Intercités, night trains, long-distance coaches and domestic flights, are still subject to the wearing of a mask, just like other public transport not subject to the pass.
What changes to the vaccination pass since February 15?
Since February 15, 2022, the French have had to take their booster dose from the moment they have received their last injection for more than 4 months, compared to 7 months so far, on pain of losing their vaccination pass. The measure applies to people aged 18 and over, but there are exceptions to all of this:
French people who have been infected with the Covid virus can keep their vaccination pass without a booster dose. To sum up, if you have injected a single dose of vaccine, but you have been contaminated twice with Covid-19, the vaccination schedule is complete, if you have injected two doses vaccine and you have been infected once with Covid-19, the vaccination schedule is complete. An infection is now equivalent to an injection, except in this very specific case: having been contaminated three times by Covid-19 does not make it possible to have a complete vaccination schedule.
With a deadline for the booster dose shortened to 4 months, the government granted an additional week for latecomers. However, since Wednesday, February 23, this period of tolerance has ended. “Those affected by their potential loss of the pass on February 15, after the seven-day notice period, will lose it today or tomorrow”, said Tuesday February 22 the Ministry of Health. Nearly 3.5 million French people would now find themselves without a vaccination pass, for lack of having completed it with the booster dose. A deliberate choice, motivated by a lifting close to the vaccination pass?
Also since February 15, the validity period of the certificate of recovery after infection with Covid-19 has been reduced from 6 months to 4 months. The recovery certificate is “one of the proofs that allows you to have a valid vaccination pass”, had indicated the ministry. This document is only issued to French people infected with Covid-19 more than 11 days ago and therefore less than 4 months (whereas before February 15, less than 6 months).
To obtain the vaccination pass, two conditions: present a complete vaccination schedule (with a booster dose within 4 months from the age of 18, unless you have been contaminated by Covid-19) or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19. 19 dating back at least 11 days and less than 4 months. Negative PCR or antigen tests are no longer valid evidence, unlike the sanitary pass. as concerned by the vaccination pass.