Paris: More than 900,000 people in France rushed to arrange a promise to vaccinate on Monday night after the President warned that people would see the sidewalks worn on them if they did not have a health permit that included a vaccine or negative covid test.
Revealing the steps of sweeping to combat the surge in infection, Emmanuel Macron said vaccination would not be mandatory for the general public for now but stressed that restrictions would focus on those who were not vaccinated.
The President said health workers had to be vaccinated on September 15 or faced consequences.
Stanislas Niox-Chateau, who heads DOCTOLIB, one of the largest online websites in this country used to order a vaccine promise, told RMC Radio there was a recording number looking for a vaccine after the President’s announcement.
“There were 7.5 million connections on DOCTOLIB in a few minutes.
More than 900,000 French made their vaccination promise yesterday, the last two records from May 11,” Niox-Chateau said.
Macron said on Monday that the health pass needed to attend a large scale event will now be used much wider, including entering the restaurant, cinema and theater.
It will also be needed to ride the train and a remote aircraft from the beginning of August, providing further incentives for people to get the chance when the summer holiday season kicks.
The slowdown in vaccination and a sharp increase in new infections for a very contagious Delta variant, now dominant, has forced the government to rethink its strategy.