- Title: Diners in Paris cafes say 'oui' to health pass
- Date: 14th August 2021
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 14, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAFE CUSTOMER SHOWING HEALTH PASS RESTAURANT SUPERVISOR FLAVIE SERVING CUSTOMERS AT BISTRO'S TERRACE PEOPLE WALKING PAST BISTRO REGENT (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUPERVISOR OF BISTRO REGENT, FLAVIE, SAYING: "The pass sanitaire is working out quite well for us. Our customers are rather receptive, and they show us the pass rather quickly. We have practically not made any refusals, since the pass went into effect last Monday. Once in a while, some PCR tests are a day past validity. Well, we end up saying yes. I think clients overall are quite reassured." FRENCH TOURIST FROM ROUEN, CHRISTINE ANGOT, TALKING WITH COMPANION AT TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUPERVISOR OF BISTRO REGENT, FLAVIE, SAYING: "Either we seat people first, and we tell them, 'We'll verify your health pass. Can you prepare it?' Or the people come with the pass all ready. And really, in one minute at most, we can scan three or four people's pass without any problem." DINERS AT BISTRO (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUPERVISOR OF BISTRO REGENT, FLAVIE, SAYING: "We are still somewhat worried for the future. We see what is happening in the overseas territories, and this worries us. For us, what's important above all is, for our staff, for us, for businesses- is to not close down again." ANGOT AND FRIEND STANDING FROM TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH TOURIST FROM ROUEN, CHRISTINE ANGOT, SAYING: "What I don't understand is that, people talk about a dictatorship (when it comes to the pass) and the absence of freedom, but I think there are other things that really impinge on our freedoms and no one worries about that. So I don't understand." HEALTH WORKER RACHEL BOUHELIER, FROM EASTERN FRENCH, WITH HER FRIENDS, SAYING (French): "We are all vaccinated." BOUHELIER'S GROUP EATING (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEALTH WORKER RACHEL BOUHELIER, FROM BOURGOGNE-FRANCHE-COMTE REGION IN EASTERN FRANCE, SAYING: "Each to his own, it's their choice. But at some point, if we want to move on, we need to get vaccinated. That's how it is. I'm a health worker, so I'm vaccinated." PRINTED HEALTH PASS (SOUNDBITE) (French) IRISH TOURIST FROM DUBLIN VISITING HER BROTHER IN PARIS, CATHERINE HALION, SAYING: "I think it's (health pass) a very good idea because it gives us the freedom to go out, finally, after nearly nine months locked down in at home. It gives us the opportunity to travel, as I did, after nine months stuck in Ireland. Now, I can travel, I can visit my brother who lives in Paris. I can see my American friends again here in Paris. I can live again, after a very long period of lockdown. So, I am very much in favour of it. And for the people who don't want to get vaccinate, well I respect the freedom of choice, but it's rather a shame, because we will never get out of the woods if we don't get vaccinated. Voila, that's what I think." HALION EATING DINING WITH HER BROTHER AND AN AMERICAN COUPLE RENE AND THERESA (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST FROM CALIFORNIA, RENE, SAYING: "This sanitary pass or whatever you call it, this is great. We can have a good time, we can stay at the hotels, wine and dine." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST FROM CALIFORNIA, THERESA, SAYING: "It makes us feel safer." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST FROM CALIFORNIA, RENE, SAYING: "Make us feel safer. And I wish America should do this at home." MAN WALKING PAST RESTAURANT RESTAURANT MENU ON BLACKBOARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST FROM CALIFORNIA, RENE, SAYING: "We should do it. Like make it happen so that the whole world will be back to normal again. So we'll be all happy, we'll be all wining and dining, we'll be all hugging, like we are with our Irish friends over here. And the whole world should be hugging again." VARIOUS OF HALION, HER BROTHER AND RENE AND THERESA DINING AT RESTAURANT TERRACE DINERS AT TERRACE VARIOUS OF BASTILLE SQUARE
- Embargoed: 28th August 2021 08:57
- Keywords: Paris cafes coronavirus health pass restaurants
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001EQ93HHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Diners around Paris, including foreign tourists, are complying with the health pass verifications as of Friday (August 13), days after the new rule took effect.
From Monday (August 9), citizens and tourists have been required to show the pass in public places, proving that they have been vaccinated or have recently been tested negative for the coronavirus.
The supervisor of Bistro Regent in the Bastille quarter of Paris said their customers were receptive of the new rule, and they didn't need to refuse to seat anyone.
"What's important above all is, for our staff, for us, for businesses- is to not close down again," the supervisor, Flavie, told Reuters on Saturday (August 14).
Many customers, including tourists from Ireland and the U.S., said vaccinations are the only way to move past the lockdown and resume a normal life.
"Make us feel safer. And I wish America should do this at home," a tourist from California, Rene, said.
While police had instructions to be lenient the first week, the government has vowed to get tougher on health pass checks from next week.
France has registered 6.39 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 112,468 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
More than 45 million French people have been vaccinated with at least one jab, with an increase after President Emmanuel Macron's July 12 speech where he announced the health pass and mandatory vaccination for health workers.
But distrust of the vaccine and the government's COVID policies remains deep as France heads for a fifth weekend of nationwide demonstrations.
(Production: Clotaire Achi, Michaela Cabrera) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
