New French booster rule means 560,000 may see Covid pass deactivated

Around 560,000 coronavirus health passes are at risk of deactivation in France, the Health Ministry said, as new rules surrounding booster shots for all adults goes into effect.

Starting on Saturday, adults who got their second Covid-19 vaccination more than seven months ago must have also received a third booster shot in order for their pass to remain valid.

France began rolling out the digital health certificates last summer. They offer proof of vaccination or recovery and are mandatory for entering restaurants, cafes, cultural venues and other sites.

The government began tightening the booster rules for the pass in mid-December, when adults over the age of 65 started being required to show proof of a third jab.

Infections have skyrocketed in France in recent weeks thanks to the more contagious Omicron strain, which now accounts for two-thirds of sequenced cases.

Most recently, the authorities reported 329,000 new infections within one day. The number of registered infections per 100,000 people nationwide within a week was most recently at 2,829.

Unvaccinated

As a fifth wave of cases hits the country, President Emmanuel Macron is trying to make life difficult for the minority of people who are unvaccinated in France - less than 10 per cent of the adult population.

He wants them completely shut out from restaurants, long-distance trains and cultural activities. For now, they can still enter with proof of a recent negative test.

Legislation to tighten the rules on the unvaccinated had been expected to be passed by lawmakers this week but has faced delays in the National Assembly and Senate.