France to Require 'Corona Pass' at Restaurants and Cafes Starting August

Aged 12 and Over Must Wear Masks When Visiting Movie Theaters, Museums, and Amusement Parks

French President Emmanuel Macron is delivering a national address on COVID-19 response in Paris on the 12th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] In France, starting next month, a COVID-19 pass verifying vaccination or a negative test result must be shown to use restaurants, cafes, and hospitals. It is also required to enter shopping centers or board airplanes and trains.

On the 12th (local time), French President Emmanuel Macron announced these measures as part of a national address. This was a response to the surge in cases caused by the Delta variant.

The French government plans to introduce the COVID-19 pass next month, but to quickly increase vaccination rates, it will require everyone aged 12 and older to show the pass when using cinemas, theaters, museums, theme parks, and cultural centers starting as early as the 21st.

President Macron said, "The more people get vaccinated, the less space the virus has to spread," and added, "We will expand the use of the COVID-19 pass to the maximum extent."

Vaccination will be mandatory not only for medical and healthcare workers but also for employees and volunteers at facilities for the disabled and elderly care homes. President Macron warned, "Those who are not vaccinated by September 15 will face sanctions or fines."

France's daily confirmed cases had once decreased to around 1,000, but due to the spread of the Delta variant, the number has remained in the 4,000s for five consecutive days since the 7th. As of the 8th, the first-dose vaccination rate is 52.7%, and the second-dose rate is 36.4%.

The Delta variant is causing a resurgence of COVID-19 worldwide. CNN reported that the U.S. has seen a 47% increase in the average daily new cases over the past week, reaching 19,455. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine, said, "In Missouri and other states, intensive care units are saturated," and predicted, "The number of deaths will soon reach an alarming level."

Indonesia, hit hard by the Delta variant, exceeded 40,000 daily confirmed cases for the first time today. This comes one week after surpassing 20,000 on the 24th of last month and 30,000 on the 6th. Deaths exceeded 1,000 for the first time on the 11th.

In the UK, which is set to fully lift quarantine measures on the 19th, the number of new cases per 100,000 people has exceeded 280 in the past week. The Netherlands has seen a tenfold increase in daily cases over one week, while Greece and Spain have each seen a doubling.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.