France is pressing ahead with new legislation that will make its health pass mandatory for those wanting to visit cafes, board planes or travel on inter-city trains.
The move has sparked mass protests in France, but the government has reaffirmed that the health pass will be a cornerstone of its efforts to combat the pandemic.
A valid health pass is generated by two jabs from a recognised vaccine, a negative coronavirus test or a recent recovery from infection. The new legislation also makes vaccinations compulsory for health workers and carers.
Health passes can be presented digitally, via the TousAntiCovid app, or in paper form. The pass was made obligatory from July 21 for visits to museums, cinemas and cultural venues with a capacity of more than 50 people. All visitors over the age of 18 must show a QR code to gain entry. The code details health information about each attendee, including vaccine records and recent PCR or antigen test results. Venues that fail to check health passes of visitors risk fines of up to €45,000 ($53,000) or even prison time.
Infections in France have risen by 97 per cent in the past week, largely as a result of the Delta variant.
France is currently welcoming travellers who have received the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Visitors must also sign a sworn declaration saying they have no symptoms of Covid-19 infection and have not been in contact with a confirmed case of the virus in the 14 days preceding their visit to France.
For non-vaccinated travellers, France has created a list of green, orange and red countries. Travellers from green list destinations must present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before the flight or, in the case of Cyprus, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands or Portugal, 24 hours before their flight.
The UAE is on the orange list, meaning non-vaccinated travellers can only enter the country if they have pressing grounds for travel and must present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours prior to departure and then self-isolate for seven days.
