France wants to extend compulsory use of Covid-19 health passport

France's government wants to be able to impose compulsory use of its coronavirus health passport after mid-November.
In France, it is only possible to visit restaurants and museums or travel by long-distance train if one has a negative coronavirus test, has recovered from Covid-19 or has been vaccinated as documented in the health passport.
The current regulation, however, is temporary. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said in Paris on Wednesday that the possibility to use the health passport in case of an epidemic situation would have to be extended.
In the fight against a fourth coronavirus wave, French President Emmanuel Macron had announced stricter measures in the summer, including the obligation to provide the health passport.
Attal defended it as a very efficient tool. Without it, many facilities would have had to close in the middle of summer.
Due to an improving infection situation, slightly looser rules are to apply from October 4.
In districts with a seven-day incidence below 50, the obligation to wear a mask in primary school will be waived, Attal said. In addition, there will no longer be any upper limits at events or in buildings in these areas.
The number of coronavirus infections in France has been declining for weeks. Most recently, approximately 74 new cases were reported for every 100,000 people infected within one week.
More than 70 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated against the virus.