VACCINE PASS. Can we hope for an imminent end to the vaccination pass after dropping the masks in closed places subject to the sanitary system? Under what criteria did the Minister of Health Olivier Véran mention?
[Mis à jour le 2 mars 2022 à 13h32] Is the end of the vaccination pass coming soon? Government spokesman Gabriel Attal, who rejoiced at a press conference this Wednesday March 2 at the “fall of the epidemic” of Covid-19 which “continues”, with a “virus reproduction rate” “now clearly below 1”, announced that “an announcement should be made quickly on this subject”. On February 23, he had already announced 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 projections by the Institut Pasteur, achieve this by mid-March”, he added, reiterating the words of the Minister of Health on Tuesday February 24 before the Senate Social Affairs Committee. Indeed, on February 24, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran mentioned a total or partial lifting of the vaccination pass in mid-March before the Senate Social Affairs Committee, detailing the 3 essential criteria for this abolition. -they ?
The vaccine pass cannot be lifted until the return to normal has taken place in hospitals, with a threshold of 1,500 patients in intensive care not to be exceeded according to the Minister of Health. “Which could happen in two or three weeks,” he said. It is also necessary “that the R factor be durably lower than 1” and “that the incidence rate be between 300/500 at the strongest to be able to consider that we have passed the hardest”, he added. He also considers that it could happen “within two to three weeks as well”. This leads to a possible lifting of the device “in mid-March in all or part of the places where it applies” he ended up concluding. On February 16 on France Info, Olivier Véran had excluded from the possible lifting of the pass places “at high risk of contamination” such as nightclubs.
The Scientific Council, whose opinion counts for the government, delivered an inventory of the health situation in a notice of February 14 published this Wednesday, March 2. He was cautious for the moment: “the current 5th wave linked to the Omicron variant that we have been going through since mid-December 2021 is not over and its impact on the healthcare system will remain high but partly manageable, and this until mid-March. And to specify that if “the incidence rate at the national level decreases sharply”, it remains “very high” (1,487 per 100,000 inhabitants in the week of February 14, 2022). Finally, the hospital situation is not yet resolved: “the impact on the healthcare system is still very present with more than 31,600 patients hospitalized on February 14, 2022, including more than 3,300 in critical care and a large number of deprogramming for the care of non-COVID patients”.
With the collapse of Covid-19 cases, the easing of health restrictions continues. Since Monday February 28, the mask is no longer the rule in all enclosed places subject to the vaccination pass with the exception of transport. What date of the end of the vaccination pass mentioned? In which places is the mask currently lifted? When will the mask be completely removed?
When will the end of the vaccination pass take place?
If, in principle, the law on the vaccine pass is applicable until July 31, 2022, given the improvement in the health situation, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced before the Senate Social Affairs Committee on Tuesday February 22 that the vaccine pass could be lifted “in mid-March in all or part of the places where it applies“. But he nevertheless conditioned the end of the vaccination pass to 3 criteria essential to this abolition. Which are they?
- 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”.
In which places subject to the vaccination pass is the mask no longer compulsory?
All places of leisure (cinemas, museums, sports establishments) and catering (bars, cafes, restaurants) are affected by the lifting of the mask indoors, while in stores, businesses, administrations, public services such as hospitals, transport in common, the mask remains the rule. Indeed, “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”, detailed a Press release published on February 11 by the Ministry of Health. The mask is therefore no longer compulsory in the interior spaces below subject to the vaccination pass, with the exception of transport (TGV, Intercités, night trains, long-distance coaches and domestic flights) subject to the vaccination pass:
- 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, swimming pool, gymnasium, ice rink, horse riding facilities, etc.)
- Amusement parks like Disneyland ParisParc Astérix, Futuroscope etc.
- Boat cruises of more than 50 passengers
What is the end date for wearing the mask indoors?
The end of wearing a mask only applies for the moment in places subject to the vaccination pass since February 28, 2022. Traveling to Nice on February 17, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran had mentioned to France Bleu a threshold of “1,500 patients in intensive care” throughout France to end the wearing of masks everywhere indoors, such as in shops, public transport or even in hospitals where it remains the rule. And we are getting closer: as of February 22, the number of patients hospitalized in intensive care was below the threshold of 3,000.
What changes to the vaccination pass on February 28?
With the improvement in the health situation and after consultation with the High Council for Public Health, the government took the decision to abolish the obligation to wear a mask in closed places subject to the vaccination pass (restaurants, bars, cinemas, sports or theaters), with the exception of trains, buses, long-distance planes where the mask remains the rule.
Since February 15, 2022, the French have had to take their booster dose from the moment they received their last injection for more than 4 months, against 7 months so far, under penalty of losing their vaccination pass. The measure applies to people aged 18 and over, but French people who have been infected with the Covid virus are exempt. 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.
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.
Is the vaccination pass compulsory to go to the hospital or to a retirement home?
Health establishments, retirement homes or medico-social establishments are not affected by the law on the vaccination pass. Access to health establishments and medico-social services nevertheless remains conditional on the health pass (complete vaccination schedule, negative test for Covid-19 or certificate of recovery) for patients and accompanying persons, except of course in emergencies, where no these two passes are not required.
Is the vaccination pass required to take the train or the plane?
The vaccination pass is required only on long-distance trains (TGV, Intercités and night trains), planes (domestic flights only) and inter-regional coaches, except for journeys between the continent and Corsica by boat or plane where the health pass remains Rule. Non-vaccinated French people can take these transports only if they justify a “compelling reason of a family or health order”, according to the text of the law. Short and medium distance public transport (metro, bus, Transilien, RER, TER) are not affected by the vaccination pass.