> with a snarky timing that will prevent some people from getting all their shots before restrictions pop in.
It's not mandatory, unless you consider restaurants and travel to be necessities one needs ( and you can still use a test in lieu of a vaccine certificate, and tests are still free)
The full extend of the restrictions is still to be announced / debated, but the first echo indicates that even going to the mall for grocery shopping, to the pharmarcy for medecines or to the hospital for doc appointment might be restricted.
Tests should not be free anymore sometimes in automn.
That's why I meant by "de facto".
Plus, we're talking about "restaurants" and "bars" in France. That borders on "necessities" ;)
To be honest, my biggest issue is the timing, though time will tell if it was necessary (playing catch-up with an exponential, once again...)
As you said, details are yet to be debated, but i highly doubt grocery shopping will be on the list of restricted activities.
For the rest, PCR tests for free until the autumn will give plenty of time for everyone to get their two doses. It's not that complicated nor time consuming to take one every few days, it just requires anticipation. ( And btw did they specifically say PCR? I don't recall.. Antigen tests are quicker and might be an easier way out )
The timing is very short indeed, bordering on the unfeasible. I think that they're right in the approach, and maybe if they had given more time people would have been more relaxed and said to themselves they'll go get vaccinated once they're back from vacation, which might be too late to avoid trouble and new curfews, closings, etc.
PCRs are valid for 72 hours and free. If I weren't vaccinated I'd prefer to get a swab in my nose every 2-3 days and do the stuff i want over nobody doing anything in public ( if the Delta variant is left unchecked, we're probably looking at new curfews or lockdowns) in the not so distant future.
Also, why would you do all that planning and not get a vaccination. Like, in all their planning, it didn't occur to someone that, hospitality places might start requiring proof of vaccination?
Service workers are people too. They want to earn a wage, while keeping themselves and their families safe. And given the labor shortages, these people have a lot more influence over their working conditions than they've had in the past.
The problem is Delta seems to have much bigger R so you are basically forced to act now as each hour counts. An alternative would be restrictions for everybody - and this would be a much worse choice for a variety of reasons.
> It's not mandatory, unless you consider restaurants and travel to be necessities one needs
Have you ever been to France?
Most in the cities live in tiny flats with insufficient space for gathering and dining. The bistro/brasserie/cafe is largely considered an extension of one's own living room.
Travel is also a normal part of life verging on necessity. Families travel for multiple weeks every summer. France even has a nationwide peer-to-peer lodging rental arrangement that predates Airbnb and Vrbo by decades: https://gitelink.com/
It's not mandatory, unless you consider restaurants and travel to be necessities one needs ( and you can still use a test in lieu of a vaccine certificate, and tests are still free)