- Title: France extends mandatory health pass to restaurant, cultural venue workers
- Date: 30th August 2021
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 30, 2021) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF "UNION SQUARE" CAFE TEDDY BEAR ON DECKCHAIR (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD WAITER AT "UNION SQUARE" CAFE, MARCO BENARD, SAYING: "Starting today, the staff must show their health pass, so two shots and the vaccine certificate. So yes, I have to check all those who will arrive today, with the QR codes and everything, and record everything on my notebook." RESTAURATEUR SETTING UP TABLE ON TERRACE RESTAURATEUR CLEANING UP TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (French) MANAGER OF "UNION SQUARE" CAFE, DANIEL UZAN, SAYING: "This will change things a bit because, well most of my staff is vaccinated, but some of them are not, so they will need to undergo a PCR test which will work for three days. So we will have to keep a close watch on that and ask the head waiter to keep an eye on the staff. And those who will not be able to show a PCR test or nothing will not be able to work or join our team. So we will need to call in temporary workers to replace them, which will have an extra cost for us." CAFE SIGN ON CAFE WINDOW READING (French): "HIRING WAITER/WAITRESS - FROM 3 P.M. TO 2 A.M." STREET WITH CAFE (SOUNDBITE) (French) MANAGER OF "UNION SQUARE" CAFE, DANIEL UZAN, SAYING: "First, we don't have enough staff. We wanted to recruit waiters, and we saw that some of them started working in other sectors. And as of today, it is becoming harder and harder to recruit, so we hire students or people who have no training, and it becomes difficult with customers who find that they're not getting quality service expected of us. But right now, we can't do anything at all." CUSTOMERS AT OUTDOOR TABLE CHATTING CUP OF COFFEE
- Embargoed: 13th September 2021 14:23
- Keywords: COVID-19 France coronavirus department store health pass restaurant staff vaccination
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002ESH2IPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:France on Monday (August 30) started requiring employees in several sectors, including restaurants, department stores, cinemas and museums, to show a health pass or risk suspension.
The health pass, already required for members of the public to go to the movies, a restaurant, a gym or a museum, will now be mandatory for 1.8 million workers nationwide, the labour ministry said.
The pass brings proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from the disease.
Parisian cafe manager Daniel Uzan said although his establishment is complying with the new rule, it comes at a cost to them, as employees without a health pass will have to be replaced by temporary workers.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, though, insisted that the health pass is "the best protection" for businesses during the health crisis.
"After an adjustment period, the health pass has not slowed down consumption, growth or investments in France," he told France Inter radio on Monday.
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets over the past weeks to protest against the pass, and business owners have also complained it was a burden, but the government says it is necessary to combat the pandemic. Opinion polls show a majority of people support the rules.
At the Galeries Lafayette department store, where employees will also have to present a health pass, customers, including tourists, are starting to get used to the use of the pass.
But Belgian tourist Amandine Henrion said the new rules are making life difficult for workers.
"It's indirectly putting a knife to their throat, to the staff, forcing them to get vaccinated," she said.
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