Health pass: only large shopping centers will be affected

Only shopping centers with an area greater than 20,000 square meters should be affected by the obligation to control the health pass from the beginning of August, announced the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire in the

.

"Business leaders have concerns, I want to reassure them: we will show understanding. We therefore propose that only the largest shopping centers, with an area greater than 20,000 square meters, are concerned," said the minister. .

"A consensus of the profession on this threshold is within reach", he noted.

A bill must be adopted in the Council of Ministers on Monday, a week after the announcements of Emmanuel Macron.

"The health pass should not affect turnover"

This high threshold of 20,000 square meters was the one on which the profession had counted for several days.

It is the same that was chosen in February, when the government closed non-food shopping centers of more than 20,000 square meters, or about 400 centers in France, a threshold that was lowered the following month to 10,000 square meters in departments at risk.

The shopping centers discussed all week with the government to define the modalities of application of the health pass, and in particular of the place where it would be controlled.

"How to control, in the stores? A priori at the entrance of the center, once again to be confirmed, a priori tomorrow," said Thursday Jacques Creyssel, of the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, on BFM Business. 

"The health pass should not affect the turnover of the sectors concerned, which we also continue to support throughout the summer thanks to the solidarity fund. Presenting a QR code only takes a few seconds and that preserves the risk of contamination, "continued Bruno Le Maire in the

.

Failure to respect the pass: "The sanctions must be dissuasive"

Regarding sanctions, "it would be unfair for those who respect the rules and who will have the health pass checked at the entrance to their establishment to be penalized by those who do not respect these rules," he said.

"The sanctions must be dissuasive, they must not be excessive. It will be up to parliamentarians to debate them on the basis of the government's proposal and the bill that will be presented tomorrow in the Council of Ministers. We have always indicated clearly that those who do not respect the rules will no longer be eligible for the solidarity fund, "said the Minister of the Economy.

The health pass will also be extended to trains, bars and restaurants in particular.