• The local health pass is not for now.

  • At the end of the Defense Council on Wednesday, Gabriel Attal indeed announced that the health pass was maintained throughout the territory.

  • Is this pass useful even in departments with a good epidemic situation?

It was THE measure anticipated before the Defense Council on Wednesday. While the coronavirus epidemic is on the decline in France, an average of less than 5,000 new cases per day could be reached as early as next week, and half of the metropolitan departments have an incidence of less than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants , a local health pass was mentioned. In the end, it will not be. Gabriel Attal indicated that for the moment there would be no adaptation of the health pass, at the local or national level.

A longer-term development of the health pass is possible, taking into account not only the incidence of the department, but also its rate of vaccination and occupancy of resuscitation beds, the government spokesperson suggested.

But the health pass will not be abandoned easily.

Is this really bad news?

Winter is coming

A population mainly vaccinated, an epidemic in clear decline… This scenario recalls that of Israel a few weeks ago which, thinking the epidemic behind it, had lifted all the barrier measures. Consequence: the country has experienced an outbreak of cases and quickly reinstated certain basic measures, such as wearing a mask indoors. “Little by little, the government is realizing that it is not necessary to lift all the protections at once. Maintaining the past, despite the decline in the epidemic, is a step in this direction, ”emphasizes Dr. Franck Clarot, co-founder of the Du Côté de la Science collective. Gabriel Attal thus played the anaphora several times in his speech, recalling that "caution" is in order.

A repeated call for caution as autumn, a period more favorable to the epidemic, sets in.

Falling temperatures, longer nights… There will inevitably be more risky behavior, with more time spent in closed places.

Closed places that may be subject to the health pass.

"Autumn is a period of increased risk, so it is a good thing if we keep certain measures when we are approaching bad days", recalls David Simard, teacher in the philosophy of medicine and biology. at the Faculty of Health of the University of Paris Est Créteil.

Win the war

This non-modification of the health pass can also be seen as a maneuver in the war of attrition against opponents of vaccination. Gabriel Attal recalled this Wednesday: 1.5 million fragile people are still not vaccinated, more than enough to saturate hospitals again and cause several hundred deaths daily. Beyond this particular population, no less than 14% of French people eligible for vaccination have not received the slightest dose, and first-time injections are in free fall. “Maybe some were hoping that the health pass didn't go away quickly, and didn't want to get vaccinated for a pass lasting a few weeks. Seeing it be extended can indeed be convincing, ”says Franck Clarot.

Especially since in October, life without a health pass will take on a new dimension, since “comfort” tests will no longer be reimbursed.

Necessary reward

There remains one question: by dint of seeing such measures maintained, does the population not run the risk of getting bored?

To think that his "efforts" are not paying off?

Franck Clarot explains: “It is important to show people that the measures work and to reward them for it.

But the right balance must be found so as not to lift the most useful measures.

As such, an autumn spent without confinement or closure of the closed places - but with a maintenance of the pass - would already be a great reward.

David Simard continues: “We are not going to risk a rebound in the fall just to reward people.

We must maintain the past and underline the efforts of the population, but that must not lead to doing just anything.

Proof of this is the main measure announced by Gabriel Attal on Wednesday, namely the end of the compulsory mask in primary schools for departments whose incidence would be less than 50 from Monday, October 4, is already strongly criticized.

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  • Vaccine

  • Health pass

  • epidemic

  • Covid 19

  • Gabriel Attal

  • Coronavirus

  • Health