Controversial health pass now mandatory in shopping malls in parts of France

This Monday 16 August, shoppers in several departments across France now have to show their 'health pass' to enter shops and malls that measure more than 20,000m². There are around 126 shopping centres, including eight in Paris, where this rule will be applied.

A waiter checks clients' health passes at a restaurant in Ascain, southwestern France, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. AP - Bob Edme

The shopping centres subject to the 'health pass' fall in the following departments: Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Charente-Maritime, Corse-du-Sud, Gard, Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Haute-Savoie, Hérault, Landes, Rhône and Var.

The 'health pass' measure was introduced by these prefectures following the increase of over 200 Covid cases per 100,000 people - a threshold set by the government for the measure to be implemented.

Even though the number of cases per 100,000 is below 200 in Paris, the French capital has been subject to this rule.

Paris police announced on Saturday that five department stores and three shopping centres as well as the Aéroville centre near Charles de Gaulle airport will fall under the health pass restrictions. 

#PassSanitaire | A partir du lundi 16 août :
✅Pass sanitaire obligatoire pour accéder aux centres commerciaux de + 20 000 m²
✅Obligation du port du masque étendue aux lieux dont l’accès est soumis à la présentation du pass
Plus de détails ➡️ https://t.co/R1uB6uOfNR pic.twitter.com/GFtpObej1w

— PréfetAlpesMaritimes (@prefet06) August 14, 2021

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Prefectures of four departments in the Paris suburbs (Seine-Saint-Denis, Val d'Oise, Val-de-Marne and Hauts-de-Seine) also issued similar orders on Saturday.

This covers 32 large stores.

This comes a week after France introduced the contraversial 'health pass' measure to apply to restaurants, cafés and for train travel. The pass is generated using a QR code either by vaccination, a recent negative test or proof of recovery from Covid-19.

Meanwhile, those protesting against the government's measure took to the streets for the fifth consecutive weekend on Saturday.

More than 200,000 people in France, including around 14,000 in Paris, took part in the demonstrations. 

France recorded around 21,000 new cases and 44 deaths related to Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. 

(with AFP)