Key dates in France for new Covid rules this winter
Rules for mask wearing, booster vaccines and health passes are changing in the next few months. We recap the dates to remember
From today, prefects will have the right to decide if masks should be worn outside based on the incidence rate in their departments.Volurol / Shutterstock
New Covid measures for mask wearing, health passes and booster jabs were announced by Health Minister Olivier Véran yesterday (November 25) as France faces a fifth wave of Covid-19.
The latest figures show 33,464 cases were reported in the previous 24 hours on November 25.
Here are the key dates for new Covid rules this winter.
2021
Friday, November 26
Masks must be worn in inside spaces including places where a health pass is required for entry.
Prefects have the right to extend this rule to open air spaces such as markets depending on the incidence rate (the number of cases per 100,000 people) in their departments.
The validity period for negative Covid tests will be reduced from 72 to 24 hours.
From this date, primary school classes will remain open to students with proof of Covid negative status even if a Covid case is detected in the class. Previously classes were closed if a case was identified.
Wednesday, December 15
People aged 65 must have had a booster dose in order to use their vaccine status to validate their health pass.
All adults in France must have had a booster dose in order to use their vaccine status to validate their health pass.
As people are only eligible for booster doses five months after their last vaccine or being infected with Covid, a two-month grace period will be applied, and passes will become invalid seven months after a previous dose or Covid infection.
An alert will also be added to the Tous Anti Covid app warning users when their pass is approaching invalidity.
Early 2022
The government will give a decision on whether Covid vaccinations will be made available to children under 12.
The European Medicines Agency gave its approval for children aged 5-11 to get vaccinated against Covid on November 25.
