New restaurant rules in France spark rush for coronavirus vaccine shots
- A ‘health pass’ or negative test from last 48 hours will be required from diners to eat in restaurants
- More than 1.7 million people in France made vaccine appointments on Tuesday
The French government defended a decision to impose Covid tests for unvaccinated people who want to eat in restaurants or take long-distance trips, as the country looks to avoid a surge in more contagious Delta cases.
President Emmanuel Macron announced the tougher measures this week, including mandatory vaccinations for health care and retirement home workers, prompting a surge in bookings for the jab.
But critics accused the president of discriminating against sceptics or those who will not be fully vaccinated before the “health pass” rules come into effect.
Others say the government is effectively imposing general vaccination by stealth – the French word for dictatorship, #Dictature, was trending on Twitter.
“There isn’t any vaccine obligation, this is maximum inducement,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.