Extension of the health pass: the Senate votes a profoundly revised text – archyde

The Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition, engaged on Thursday, October 28, a standoff with the government by reducing from July 31, 2022 to February 28 the extension of the braking measures against the Covid-19 epidemic, and by providing for a territorialized exit from the sanitary pass.

The bill on “Various health vigilance provisions”, very largely revised by the senators, was voted in first reading by 158 votes for – the majority of the Republican groups (LR) and centrists -, and 106 against. The Socialists abstained.

For the leader of senators LR Bruno Retailleau, “The time has come for relaxation”. The modified text “Bears the mark of the Senate”, at a time “Guardian of public freedoms” and “Concerned about the balance of power”, he judged.

Deputies and senators will try to agree next week on a common version in a joint committee, a challenge as the positions have diverged. In the event of failure, the National Assembly will have the last word.

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The territorialized health pass

The government “Is determined to retain the month of July 2022 as the horizon”, said from the outset the Minister Delegate in charge of autonomy Brigitte Bourguignon at the opening of the debates. Refusing to give “A blank check”, the senators reduced the deadline from July 31 to February 28, date of suspension of parliamentary work before the electoral deadlines.

Rapporteur LR Philippe Bas considers that “Three and a half months is fine, eight and a half months is too much”. It is up to the government to return to Parliament to continue beyond, if the health situation so requires.

Centrist Nathalie Goulet ruled the date of February 28 ” reasonable “, refusing to “Play russian roulette” giving ” Full powers “ to a new president not yet elected. “We know very well now that we will have to live with the virus at least until the summer”, argued without convincing M^me Bourguignon, stressing that the winter period will be “Conducive to a worsening of the situation”.

The Senate also put the health pass “Endangered”, in the words of the rapporteur. At the end of a lively debate in the hemicycle, coupled with backstage meetings between the LR groups and the Socialist Party (PS), an amendment was adopted by Marie-Pierre de La Gontrie (PS), completed by Jérôme Bascher ( LR).

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the “Compromise” thus obtained, but to which the government does not subscribe, aims to territorialize the use of the health pass from November 15. It would be limited to departments that have not reached a vaccination rate of 80% of the eligible population and in which an active circulation of the virus is observed. This 80% rate will be reached on November 15 in all metropolitan departments, according to M^me from La Gontrie.

The imposition of the health pass would nevertheless remain possible to access establishments welcoming vulnerable people in all the departments.

On the other hand, the Senate rejected the amendments aimed at the outright abolition of the health pass.

The secret of pupils’ vaccination status preserved

The Minister of Health Olivier Véran believes that he does not have “Enough hindsight at this stage” to “Deprive of a tool that is functional” and “Very well accepted by people”. The president of the group Indépendants Claude Malhuret supported this position, saying that he “Is not a tool of constraint, but of freedom”.

As everywhere in Europe, the epidemic is experiencing a rebound in France at the start of the cold season. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed on Wednesday “A light but sensitive recovery”, with 5,400 cases detected per day on average, while estimating that France could hope for “A relatively serene winter” thanks to its vaccination rate.

Invoking medical secrecy, the senators again removed the controversial provision allowing school directors to know the vaccination status of students.

Among the amendments adopted in the hemicycle, the Senate voted, at the initiative of the CRCE group with a communist majority, a request for a report on “The consequences of hospital bed closures”, subject on which the scientific council recently alerted.

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The CRCE and ecologist groups are firmly opposed to a text, which, “Even more measured” upon leaving the Senate, “Favors a security approach to crisis management”, according to the president of the CRCE group Eliane Assassi.

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The World with AFP