THOUSANDS RUSH TO BOOK VACCINATIONS AS FRENCH GOVERNMENT TIGHTENS SCREWS

Tue 13 July 2021:

Thousands in France have rushed to book vaccinations after the President Macron warned curbs would be imposed on them if they did not have a health pass that covered a vaccine or negative COVID test.

Macron said on Monday that a health pass required to attend large-scale events would now be used much more widely, including to enter restaurants, cinemas and theatres.

Anyone wanting to go out to eat or drink, take a long-distance train or visit a shopping centre would need to show a “health pass”, which means either proof of vaccination or a negative test, Macron said.

The pass will also be needed to attend a festival, a theatre show or a cinema screening as part of the government’s strategy to tackle the surging number of new cases linked to the Delta variant.

It will also be required to board long-distance trains and planes from the beginning of August, giving a further incentive for people to get the shot as the summer holiday season kicks in.

The head of the Doctolib website, the main site to book vaccination appointments, said traffic was at an all-time high following Macron’s televised speech on Monday night.

“We recorded 20,000 appointments per minute, an absolute record since the start of the campaign, and it’s continued during the night and into this morning,” boss Stanislas Niox-Chateau told BFMTV.

A total of 926,000 people had booked a jab, with 65 percent of them under 35, he added.

The president said health workers had to get vaccinated by September 15 or face consequences.

The head of state also announced mandatory vaccinations for healthcare staff, retirement home workers and others working with vulnerable people from September in line with similar moves in Greece, Italy and Britain.

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