Britons who wanted to ski in France have seen their plans disrupted by the announcement that they need to get a vaccine passport.
Everybody over the age 12 must now prove they have been double-vaccinated.
British tourists face multiple problems due to this: children under 16 cannot get a vaccine passport, and 12-15 year olds are only eligible for one jab.
Also, only Britons above 40 years old can get boosters. People in their late 30s or early 40s who have had their first dose in June may be missing out because their passports will expire in January.
These new regulations, effective December 4, will be part of an effort to stop France’s winter Wave of Covid. They include making boosters more accessible to everyone over 18 and reducing the gap between booster and second dose to just five months.
Although deaths and infections are rising across Europe, there are some encouraging signs that the epidemics in Austria and the Netherlands have slowed – though only after they put their entire infrastructure under lockdown and enacted a nighttime curfew.
France requires that everyone above the age 12 have a vaccination passport to be able to ski in France starting December 4.
Brits are going to be confused by new regulations. Brits who are under 16 will not have a Covid passport. Those aged 12-15 won’t get one jab. Those in the mid-to late 30s can get boosters.
Austria’s daily case numbers show that infection rates have largely declined in the week of November 18-25. This was after Austria locked down unvaccinated people, but not before total lockdown.
The Netherlands had a similar experience over the same amount of time. It did this about a week following the imposing of a night curfew.
European leaders tried to reinstate restrictions as a way to stop the spread of the virus. However, measures across countries vary widely.
Austria was one of the most severe, closing all shops that were not essential and making vaccinations compulsory for anyone who qualifies.
France, Germany and Italy have also taken a tougher stance against the unvaccinated, tightening their Covid passport regulations to prevent them from accessing public areas.
France announced Thursday that it will make COVID-19 booster shot available to everyone, tighten regulations on the wearing of face masks, and increase health check checks to stop a fifth wave infection. This is to prevent economic collapse.
France’s infection rate is increasing at a rapid pace, with the government stating that it was not necessary to impose lockdowns like in Austria.
Olivier Veran, Health Minister, stated that anyone over 18 would be eligible to receive booster shots. He also said that the time between booster jabs and full vaccination would be reduced from six months to just five.
A piece of good news is that cases are beginning to level off in Austria, and the Netherlands following both countries’ restrictions
European leaders are rushing to enforce lockdowns, and take the most severe measures against those who have not been vaccinated. Covid cases are rising at all time highs across many EU countries.
Brussels has begun to consider harsher travel restrictions as Europe suffers from a Covid winter that has seen the number of virus deaths spike.
Veran stated that ‘we still have our destiny in our hands’ at a press conference and urged people to follow social distancing rules.
The current availability of booster shots is limited to seniors over 65 years old and those suffering from underlying medical conditions.
Veran indicated that France holds approximately 25 millions doses of the drug, which is sufficient to launch the booster campaign. An earlier version of this article, France’s Health Regulator (HAS), supported a wider campaign.
France has reported more than 30,000 infections in the past two days, which is a rare occurrence since April.
The daily moving average for new cases per day, calculated by adjusting for any reporting irregularities, stands at 21761, a record high over the past three months. This figure has more than quadrupled within a single month.
Veran indicated that he would contact the HAS as well as medical ethics to determine if children aged between five and eleven should be immunized. The 2022 deadline is the last date for such a program.
The EU’s drug regulator had approved earlier the use of Pfizer BioNTech’s COVID vaccination for children aged 5-11 years old to combat an increase in infection rates.
Veran explained that booster shots will be required for French citizens to obtain a valid health card. This is necessary in France to allow them into cafes, museums and restaurants as well as other places of public interest. A valid health pass will show proof of full vaccinations or negative COVID tests.
Veran’s announcement caused vaccination bookings to explode, which led Doctolib, the medical appointments app, to stop accepting new orders. The app allowed for a wait time of over 30 minutes when booking a vaccine at 1615 GMT.
European leaders are turning to vaccinations for the fight against the Covid Wave. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to receive booster jabs, and limit the activity of those who have not been vaccinated.
On Thursday, 1.5million Europeans died from covidence. This comes amid WHO warnings about 700,000. More deaths could occur before winter ends.