According to a leaked document published by the Atlantico site, France is planning to re-introduce a health pass at its borders from August 1.
France’s Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed the authenticity of the draft law to the AFP news agency.
Coronavirus infection rates have been rising across Europe in recent weeks, driven by the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
Although higher infection rates have not yet translated into deaths, there is growing concern that restrictions may be needed.
The European Parliament has stepped in and approved an extension of the health pass across the Union, but the reality is that individual states will make up their own minds about if and when to reintroduce curbs on movement. It would appear that France may be among the first to do so.
François-Xavier Bellamy, president of France’s Les Republicans in the assembly, opposed the extension of the health pass. “The European Parliament is extending the health pass by one year, which the states can reactivate at will,” he said on Twitter.
“Our democracies so quickly become accustomed to transgressing their own principles, even when nothing justifies it. The state of emergency becomes the norm, and freedom the exception…”
FILE PHOTO: Reuters
