The French Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, at a press conference in Paris, announced the reintroduction of the “obligation to wear a mask” in all public places as well as outdoors in areas of great turnout. Véran specified that a health pass will be required to access the Christmas markets.
The rule is part of the package of new restrictions announced yesterday.
“The challenge is to protect the French by consolidating our achievements and strengthening our organization in order to save the end-of-year holidays and get through the winter in the best possible way.” The goal of the campaign is “not to go back to curfew and lockdown”. The main points of the plan announced yesterday were in fact three: strengthening the use of virus containment measures such as masks, strengthening the green pass and accelerating the vaccination campaign.
Therefore, the extension of the vaccination recall, the so-called “third dose” against Covid-19, has been confirmed to “all French people who are over 18 years old” 5 months after the second dose. “The vaccine protects, but its effectiveness diminishes over time”; Véran recalled, inviting his compatriots to take the third dose. A recall that “concerns 25 million French” and “the pass will be deactivated in the absence of a recall”. Furthermore, from next Monday, the validity of PCR tests for those who have not yet been vaccinated will be reduced from 72 to 24 hours.
From 15 January 2022, all people between 18 and 65 years of age will have to justify on their health pass that they have received an anti-Covid booster dose up to seven months after the one previously administered. “Starting from December 15, the health pass for those over 65 will no longer be valid without a recall made in a period of seven months after the infection or the last injection”, said the Minister of Health Véran – A similar provision will come extended to all French people between 18 and 65 “starting from January 15.” This means that their green pass will also be considered as expired without a reminder “seven months after the last injection”.