The health pass entered the daily life of the French since Monday and many places are now subject to the famous QR codes.
Shopping centers are no exception, or at least not all.
The decision to make this tool compulsory there depends on the prefects and is specific to each department.
Restaurants, bars, cinemas, hospitals, transport ... The health pass has entered the daily life of the French since Monday, for a week of breaking in first, despite the protest in the street, in order to fight against the Covid epidemic -19.
And among the places where this new device is now mandatory, there are also shopping centers.
Only the latter are not all affected by the measure.
It depends on the prefect's decision.
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Some therefore hold their breath, as in Nice, where the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes gives himself time before imposing the health pass.
On the other hand, some have made a point: in Pontet, north of Avignon, for example, the device passed on Monday.
There are still those who know they are going to spend there, but who still have a few hours to prepare.
This is the case for the three largest shopping centers in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
The prefect informed them on Sunday that given the very high incidence rate in the department, the rule will apply from Wednesday morning.
"Tensions" to be expected with customers
Arnaud Le Bihan runs the largest of the three, located Porte d'Espagne, a few kilometers from Perpignan.
To be in the nails, he is fine-tuning with his team the system that will be in force: at each front door, customers will find a host or a receptionist, assisted by a security guard responsible for systematically flashing the QR codes.
"If it's green, we let in and if it's red, we are instructed not to let customers through," he explains before continuing.
"We know that we will have tensions with some people who may not understand this refusal."
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And to carry out this mission, the management of the shopping center had to call on additional teams. A significant expense since the amount of the invoice amounts to 36,000 euros for the next two weeks. What displeases the traders who in addition to having to assume the fallout from this cost, will see fewer customers in the stores. Their only hope therefore remains that this episode does not last beyond the end of the month.