France implements Macron’s Covid health pass despite heavy protests

France implements Macron's Covid health pass despite heavy protests

France implements Macron's Covid health pass despite heavy protests. image: Twitter

France implements Macron’s Covid health pass despite heavy protests from across the country.

From today, Monday, August, 9, people in France will be required to show a health pass to enjoy usually routine activities such as sipping a coffee in a cafe, shopping on the Champs-Élysées, or travelling on an intercity train, in a plan championed by President Emmanuel Macron to lower Covid-19 infections and encourage vaccination.

The French government is pressing ahead with the extension of an already-existing health pass to cafes, restaurants and intercity travel, despite four weekends of angry protests that saw almost a quarter of a million rally nationwide on Saturday, August 7.

Macron, who expressed his exasperations with the protests on national TV, is hoping that the plan will help ramp up vaccinations and halt the fourth wave of coronavirus in France in a strategy similar to that of EU neighbours such as Italy and Germany.

It was reported by France24 that over 230,000 people marched Saturday in cities across France to protest measures meant to counter the spread of the coronavirus, including vaccines for health care workers and a health pass needed to access many public indoor activities.

The fourth week of protests was also the largest and included marches in Paris, Nice, Montpellier and Lyon, where police used tear gas on protesters who threw objects at police. The measures have brought together France’s hard-left anarchists and hard-right militants.

Health care workers have until September 15 to get their shots or face suspension.

“I’d rather not be paid than be forced to have the vaccine,” hospital psychiatrist Diane Hekking told Reuters as she protested in Paris.


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Ron Howells

Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.

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