Covid-19: in France, the Senate refuses to extend the health pass until summer 2022
The French health pass against Covid-19 restricts access to many public places such as bars, cafes, cinemas or long-distance transport.
AP - Bob Edme
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The French Senate, dominated by the opposition LR (right), on Thursday, October 28, refused to extend the use of the health pass against the coronavirus epidemic until July 31, 2022, initiating a standoff with the National Assembly where President Macron's LaREM party is in the majority.
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The Senate decided, by 158 votes to 106, to extend the
health pass
only until February 28, revising a bill adopted by deputies on October 21.
Deputies and senators will try to agree next week on a common version.
In case of failure, the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, will have the last word.
The French health pass against Covid-19 restricts access to many public places such as bars, cafes, cinemas or long-distance transport.
It is issued to people who are fully vaccinated or have a recent negative test.
Since August 9, this pass conditions access to a number of social spaces, such as bars and restaurants.
Since August 30, it has also been imposed on 1.8 million employees in contact with the public.
►
See also:
France: MPs adopt a controversial law extending the health pass
If we want it to work, when the virus is less present, we have to find ways of living that are those before ...
The Senate receives the support of the socialist candidate for the presidential election, Anne Hidalgo, traveling to Burgundy.
Aurélien Devernoix
Do not give "full powers" to a new president not yet elected
Refusing to give "
a blank check
" to the government, the senators reduced the deadline for the health pass from July 31 to February 28, the date of the planned suspension of parliamentary work before the presidential and legislative elections of spring 2022.
"
Three and a half months is fine, eight and a half months is too much,
" said Philippe Bas, Senator Les Républicains (LR).
It is up to the government to return to Parliament to continue beyond, if the health situation so requires.
The centrist Nathalie Goulet, for her part, deemed the date of February 28 "
reasonable
", refusing to "
play Russian roulette
" by giving "
full powers
" to a new president not yet elected.
►
To read also:
Covid-19 in France: the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn indicted by the CJR
As everywhere in Europe, the Covid-19 epidemic is experiencing a rebound in France at the start of the cold season.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed Wednesday "
a slight but sensitive recovery
", with 5,400 cases detected per day on average, while estimating that France could hope for "
a relatively serene winter
" thanks to its vaccination rate of 'about 80%.
(With
AFP
)
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