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A30 world news
Dialuna 26 Juli 2021

French parliament OKs restaurant COVID pass, vaccine rules

(AP) — France's parlia- VID-19 pass for restaurants
ment approved a law early and mandatory vaccinations
Monday requiring special for health workers. Many
virus passes for all restau- marchers shouted "liberty!"
rants and domestic travel and said the government
and mandating vaccina- shouldn't tell them what to
tions for all health work- do.
ers.
Visiting a hospital in French
Both measures have prompt- Polynesia afterward, Macron
ed protests and political ten- urged national unity and
sions. President Emmanuel asked, "What is your freedom
Macron and his government worth if you say to me 'I don't
say they are needed to pro- want to be vaccinated,' but
tect vulnerable populations tomorrow you infect your fa-
and hospitals as infections ther, your mother or myself?"
rebound and to avoid new
lockdowns. While he said protesters are
"free to express themselves in
The law requires all work- a calm and respectful man-
ers in the health care sector ner," he said demonstrations
to start getting vaccinated by won't make the coronavirus
Sept. 15, or risk suspension. go away.
It also requires a "health pass"
to enter all restaurants, trains, He criticized "people who are
planes and some other pub- in the business of irrational,
lic venues. It initially applies sometimes cynical, manipu-
to all adults, but will apply to mise version approved by the lative mobilization" against
everyone 12 and older start- Senate on Sunday night and vaccination. Among those
ing Sept. 30. by the National Assembly af- organizing the protests have
ter midnight. The rules can been far-right politicians
To get the pass, people must be applied through Nov. 15, and extremist members of
have proof they are fully vac- depending on the virus situ- France's yellow vest move-
cinated, recently tested nega- ation. ment tapping into anger at
tive or recently recovered Macron's government.
from the virus. Paper or digi- Macron appealed for national
tal documents will be accept- unity and mass vaccination to More than 111,000 people
ed. The law says a govern- fight the resurgent virus, and with the virus have died in
ment decree will outline how lashed out at those fueling France, which is registering
to handle vaccination docu- anti-vaccine sentiment and about 20,000 new infections
ments from other countries. protests. daily compared to just a few
The bill was unveiled just six thousand earlier this month.
days ago. Lawmakers worked About 160,000 people pro- Concerns for hospitals are re-
through the night and the tested around France on Sat- surfacing.
weekend to reach a compro- urday against a special CO-

Germans divided over restrictions for the unvaccinated

He said such policies would rates remain too low this fall, trol agency, Merkel ruled out
be legal because “the state has other options could be con- new vaccine requirements
the responsibility to protect sidered, Laschet said, adding “at the moment,” but added,
the health of its citizens.” “but not now.” “I’m not ruling out that this
might be talked about differ-
His comments fueled a de- With the highly transmis- ently in a few months either.”
bate in German politics about sible delta variant spread-
potential vaccination require- ing in Germany, politicians Other elected officials have
ments. The issue has proven have debated the possibility struck a similar tone. Baden-
divisive, even within Merkel’s of compulsory vaccinations Württemberg governor Win-
own Christian Democrats for specific professions, in- fried Kretschmann, a mem-
party. Its candidate to replace cluding medical workers. No ber of the Greens, noted
Merkel as Germany’s leader, such requirements have been Sunday that the delta variant
Armin Laschet, said he op- implemented yet. and others that may emerge
(AP) — German politi- pect another coronavirus-re- poses any formal or informal could make vaccine require-
cians were deeply divided lated lockdown in Germany. vaccine requirements for the Germany’s vaccine efforts ments more attractive down
Sunday over a warning But Braun said that unvac- time being. have slowed in recent weeks the line.
by Chancellor Angela cinated people may be barred and that has led to discus-
Merkel’s chief of staff from entering venues like “I don’t believe in compul- sions about how to encour- While there are no current
that restrictions for un- restaurants, movie theaters or sory vaccinations and I don’t age those who haven’t yet plans to require people to get
vaccinated people may be sports stadiums “because the believe we should put indi- received a vaccine to do so. vaccinated, he told the Ger-
necessary if COVID-19 residual risk is too high.” rect pressure on people to More than 60% of the Ger- man news agency dpa that
infection numbers reach get vaccinated,” he told the man population has received “I can’t rule out compulsory
new heights in the coming Braun said getting vaccinated German broadcaster ZDF at least one dose while over vaccinations for all time.”
months. is important to protect against on Sunday. “In a free country 49% are fully vaccinated.
severe disease and because there are rights to freedom, Karl Lauterbach, a health
Chief of staff Helge Braun “vaccinated people will defi- not just for specific groups.” During a recent visit to the expert from the center-left
told the newspaper Bild am nitely have more freedoms Robert Koch Institute, the Social Democrats, spoke in
Sonntag that he doesn’t ex- than unvaccinated people.” If Germany’s vaccination government run disease con- favor of possible restrictions.