Health pass: fines for restaurateurs, sanctions, isolation ... The government is refining its bill

Fighting in the executive to pass the health bill as quickly as possible.

At 4 p.m. on Monday, the government meets to finalize the final text on the basis of the opinion of the Council of State.

The highest French administrative court wondered a lot Monday morning about the issue of sanctions against vaccine refractory.

Then, the bill will be presented to the Council of Ministers at 6.30 p.m.

In the process, the ministers will stay at the Élysée for the traditional end-of-year dinner with the respective spouses of members of the government.

A friendly parenthesis in the midst of a health crisis.

Calm the spirits

Several provisions that have bristled opponents should be changed by the executive.

This is particularly the case with the penalties provided for restaurant owners and other owners of small establishments open to the public who have not enforced the health pass control measures.

A revised and corrected fine of around 1,500 euros (up to 9,000 euros in the event of a repeat offense) could apply.

There is therefore no longer any question of a fine of 45,000 euros as initially mentioned.

It was found to be disproportionate.

This high fine would only be retained for hospital directors who have not imposed control measures on their medical staff.

Read also Health pass: vaccine, fines ... employees and employers await clarification

Another easing measure intended to appease the spirits: the sanctions provided for employees of establishments welcoming the unvaccinated public will be less automatic.

Those who do not present a valid health pass after the tolerance period of August 30 could be subject to a sanction up to dismissal from the second month without a health pass.

The hierarchical superior is free to initiate this supreme sanction within a period exceeding two months.

The government will also provide an authorization to get vaccinated during working time with maintenance of salary during absence.

Finally, the compulsory ten-day isolation for contaminated people could no longer appear in the final text.

This measure had been the subject of intense challenges from the antivax.

On Wednesday, a Health Defense Council will finally examine the sanitary screwdriver planned for the departments where the epidemic is soaring, against a background of the Delta variant. Prime Minister Jean Castex will speak at 1 p.m. on television to reveal the decisions taken on this occasion.