Covid-19 and the delta variant. Emmanuel Macron’s plea and “health tickets” convinced people to get vaccinated in France?

On Monday, July 12, the Francophone world shook. “President Emmanuel Macron will speak at 8:00 pm,” I read in my Facebook groups in Paris. It was easy to guess that this was a new, fast-spreading delta type of coronavirus.

France encourages vaccination

France has barely completed its gradual recovery from the spring lockdown. Licks wounds from losses in the tourism and catering sector. At the end of May, l’Insee – the French equivalent of the central statistical office – published reports showing that business leaders had finally regained the level of optimism they had before the pandemic, in February 2020, and that households were slowly beginning to harbor hope for a better future. We will have to wait for excellent economic results, but we know – without optimism, there will be nothing to count on, there will be no consumption, which has shown its fundamental importance to the French economy through the pandemic and investments.

However, a new alternative to the virus could mean the need for more restrictions and a mood-depression. Especially since the level of community vaccination on the Seine seemed low from the start, mainly due to the suspicions of the French and perhaps also a great fatigue from the state, which since March 2020 has become omnipresent, making people’s lives very harmonious with detailed recommendations, when applying and removing restrictions. As a result, the proportion of people who received two doses of the vaccine was 36.4% on July 8. Population according to the Oxford website Our World in Data (for comparison – on the same day, 40% of Polish women and men took two doses of the vaccine).

“Healthy Entrance” from July 21

The president and government want to avoid further restrictions at all costs, because of the economy and a rapidly approaching election year (in 2022 we will meet Macron’s successor, who has no chance of another term) the only salvation seems to be massive vaccinations. It was decided to use what turned out to be especially important for the French during the lockdown: the list of things to which entry is subject to the necessity of showing the so-called “health entrance” (Health pass). Today, they are essential when entering large establishments with more than 1,000 people. People – the largest museums, stadiums, large theaters, etc. But this will quickly begin to change – on July 21, “admission” will apply to everyone, not only the largest places of culture and entertainment, primarily in cinemas, and from the beginning of August also to restaurants, cafes, road transport (rail, bus) and air transport It must also be presented at the entrance to a hospital or nursing home.

Tickets will be checked by employees of all institutions hosting the public. According to the latest version of the government bill, the lack of a ticket can lead to a large fine – up to 10,000 euros or six months’ imprisonment.

A “Healthy Entry Ticket” is a certificate: the person has been vaccinated with a double dose of the vaccine (or a single dose in the case of a single dose vaccine) and the period necessary to gain full immunity has passed; You have been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 6 months, as confirmed by an antibody test Or a valid 48-hour negative PCR test result. The European QR code format, effective from 1 July, will also be recognized as a “health ticket” – for vaccinated Poles, moving around France should not be a problem. Tickets will be held until at least September 30, based on the Sanitation Crisis Recovery Management Act.

Read also: “Green Corridors” in Israel, or a controversial comeback to life

Compulsory vaccinations and 10 thousand. Euro sanctions

The introduction of “tickets” with concurrent information that from September all those who want to take a PCR test without a doctor’s referral will have to pay for it, was an excellent incentive to sign up for vaccinations. Let us remind you that while similar solutions work in Germany, tests are still widely available and free there – but with the cultural fervor of the French and a completely different population density, it would not be possible to implement such a solution on the Seine.

The introduction of ‘tickets’ encourages all adults to register for immunizations. In addition, France decided to introduce compulsory vaccination, at least for a select group. All healthcare and care support workers must be vaccinated by September 15 (intensive inspections will begin after September 15). According to the government’s draft, vaccinations should be mandatory for all employees of institutions accepting public acceptance under the employment ban penalty. From the beginning of the school year, minors from 12 to 17 years old will also be vaccinated.

Macron’s rhetoric and the new strategy are slowly beginning to bear fruit. On July 13, the day after the President’s speech, the absolute vaccination record was recorded (in France, the first dose of the vaccine can be obtained immediately at private vaccination centers). take an injection 792339 people, among them 269,776 received the first dose of the vaccine. The previous record was broken in mid-June – it was 750,000. People in a Day – Unfortunately, the vaccination rate has slowed, causing the government to worry.

Read also: Delta attacks massively in Russia and Great Britain. Let’s get vaccinated