French government might extend COVID health pass usage until next summer

Leaders in France are entertaining the idea of expanding their health pass, but are also considering easing COVID restrictions like mandatory masking where applicable.

A pair of recent stories from Reuters gives the public a roadmap into what to anticipate for the situation. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that a French government spokesman that the country’s pandemic state of emergency is slated to continue until Summer 2022.

"What we will propose to the parliament is to maintain for several more months, until the summer, the possibility of using it," French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told media reporters.

That statement refers not just to the general state of emergency status for the country, but also the usage of a COVID health pass to access public places.

It’s an issue that has led the French general public to regularly protest in various cities over every recent weekend.

According to Euronews and AFP, the French government is planning to introduce a bill next month that will allow them to continue usage of the COVID health pass until Summer 2022.

The French government has placed a November 15th expiration date on their COVID health pass system.

Euronews also reports that France’s health pass is not a simple vaccine passport. Instead, it is "a COVID health pass, attesting that its holder is either fully vaccinated, has recently tested negative or has recovered from the disease over the past few months, is currently required to access cafes and restaurants as well as long-distance public transport across France."

"We must give ourselves the means to have the possibility of resorting to measures, if necessary, to protect the French. Our wish, our hope is that this will not be the case," said Attal.

In another Reuters story from this morning offers a differing tone in COVID news — no more mandatory masks for public schools, if they’re in areas with low infection rates. Areas like Paris, which has had a high case count, are still expected to mask up.

"Areas where masks will cease to be mandatory in primary schools must have fewer than 50 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 citizens for five consecutive days."