Covid: France rolls out health pass as cases soar

A new Covid health pass has come into effect in France amid a surge of new infections.

From Wednesday, people need proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from Covid to enter most museums and cinemas.

Later lawmakers will debate whether to extend its use in August for entry to cafes, restaurants, and shopping malls.

It comes the day after Health Minister Olivier Véran announced 18,000 new infections in just 24 hours.

This was compared to fewer than 7,000 cases a day last week, a surge of 150%, as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads throughout the country.

"We have never seen this before," he told the National Assembly, saying Delta had led to far larger rises in cases than previous variants, like those first spotted in the UK or South Africa.

President Emmanuel Macron announced the plans for a health pass earlier this month, as well as compulsory vaccination for all health workers by September. Surveys suggest there is widespread vaccine hesitancy in France.

Mr. Macron's plans have proved controversial. Protests against new coronavirus rules in France saw demonstrators vandalizing two vaccination centers this week.

"Health Dictatorship" is what protesters here are calling it.

If the government has its way, in a few short weeks, you won't be able to sit down for a coffee at a Paris café - or board a train - without proof that you're Covid-free, vaccinated, or immune.

This so-called Health Pass is the government's answer to infection rates that are rising faster than France has ever seen in this pandemic.

Already, from today, there'll be no routine access to cinemas, theatres, museums - no trips to Disneyland Paris - without it.

But it's the plan to extend that restriction to everyday public places - cafes, shopping centers, and public transport - that's causing the biggest backlash.

Some MPs have reported receiving death threats ahead of the debate today.

And some protesters sparked fury last week by comparing these government restrictions to the singling out of Jews during France's wartime Nazi occupation.

A majority of French people appear to support the plan, with many believing it's the only way to avoid yet another lockdown.

Source:bbc.com

Comments

Invest your profits back into farming - COCOBOD boss to Cocoa Farmers

Joseph Boahen Aidoo is Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has charged cocoa farmers to be business minded in operating their farms and to partake fully in the various programmes introduced by COCOBOD to ensure good farm yields and to increase profits. "Good farming practices, like pruning, the timely application of fertilizers and proper pests control are essential at all times," he said. Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated this while interacting with farmers in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions, on the first day of his week-long tour of cocoa farms across the county. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, as well, as Directors and Research Scientists from COCOBOD. The tour is aimed at assessing the level of farmer participation in the various farm productivity improvement programmes implemented by COCOBOD; it is also...

Smoke ‘wee’ as much as you want – Muramura Chief to youth

The town is also known for growing of ‘wee’ on a large scale The Chief of Muramura in the Kwahu South District, Nana Gyaakye Amo II, says residents of his town especially the youth are free to smoke marijuana (wee) as much as they want. According to the 83-year-old chief, he’s powerless to deal with the menace and once the youth will not come to smoke the banned substance in his house he cares less and is minding his own business. Nana Gyaakye Amo II, made the shocking comments in an interview with Kasapa News on the back of the unfortunate incident in his town where angry residents on Sunday lynched and set fire into the body of a 29-year-old known ‘wee’ smoker Kofi Sammy for killing a 28-year-old pregnant Woman Alimatu Karim and cooking parts of her mutilated body for food. The town is known for growing of ‘wee’ on a large scale with most of the youth puffing the banned substance at will. When Kasapa News presenter Bonohene Baffuor Awuah asked Nana Gyaakye...

Stop running commentary on our investigations - A-G warns EOCO

Attorney-General, Gloria Akuffo Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, the Attorney-General has asked the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to open itself to the public but to avoid running commentary on its investigations. According to her speaking in public about their investigations could only frustrates their efforts as well as give out too much information to criminals to change their mode of operations. “Criminals are always waiting to cover their tracks and therefore coming out to speak constantly about a matter, makes it easier for them to cover up and therefore frustrating the outcome of the investigations,” she stressed. She advised that the statutory body should avoid following rumours and suspicions so as not to not embarrass themselves. Ms Akuffo said this at EOCO’s maiden national stakeholders’ forum in Accra aimed at interacting with stakeholders and share information on cases investigated, prosecutions and convictions obtained as well as recoveries and confiscations made. ...

Odi News Network

Search This Blog