Finally! The end of the vaccine pass and the wearing of masks in restaurants, bars and cafés?
This is reassuring news for thefuture of the restaurant industry: the French government announced on March 3, 2022 in an official official communiqué the suspension of the vaccination pass in all places where it was required as of March 14, 2022. This news may come as a surprise, since the thresholds set so far to decide on the lifting of restrictions have not yet been met.
What does this mean in concrete terms for restaurateurs? Are there any measures that still need to be put in place?
Vaccination pass: a complete disappearance?
As of February 28, anyone over the age of 18 had to present a complete vaccination schedule in order to enter a restaurant, café or bar. But as the Prime Minister Jean Castex declared during his televised address, the vaccination pass will no longer be necessary to enter establishments open to the public. This measure concerns both customers on the terrace and customers in the restaurant. Restaurants, bars and cafés will no longer need to check the vaccination history of their customers. In the same way, minors aged between 12 and 15 years old will no longer need to present a health pass.
An easing of sanitary measures
While the health pass will still be required in certain institutions such as hospitals or retirement homes, restaurant owners will not be affected. Wearing a mask, which was no longer mandatory in institutions subject to the vaccination pass since February 28, will remain optional despite the suspension of the pass. However, it is still strongly recommended for people who are positive, for contact cases presenting a risk and for people presenting symptoms of covid-19.
L'lightening of the measures is obviously excellent news for the restaurant industry, both from a practical and economic point of view, but it should be taken with a grain of salt in the face of a potential resumption of the epidemic.
Changes to be taken with caution
If this news is a breath of fresh air for restaurant owners, it is important to take it with a certain distance. The measures that are part of the sanitary system are legally regulated until July 31, 2022. This means that until that date, the measures taken by the government to fight the epidemic can be put back in place as quickly as they were removed. The Prime Minister has spoken of a "suspension" and not a definitive end to the vaccine pass.
A sharp increase in the number of cases or hospitalizations could mean the return of some, if not all, of the measures taken so far. Could the slight increase in the number of cases in recent days mean the beginning of a new epidemic wave? Nothing is less certain. No one can say with certainty where the government is going to go in the next few months.
Author: Alex Ly
