COVID-19 Vaccine Pass Mandate Approved by French Parliament Amid Widespread Protests

French Parliament on Monday approved a law that would mandate a special COVID-19 vaccine pass and require all healthcare workers to get the vaccine. The new law, which was only created six days ago, requires all health care sector workers to begin getting vaccinated by Sept. 15 or risk suspension, and it also requires a vaccine passport-like “health pass” to enter planes, trains, restaurants, and some other public venues… The health pass can only be obtained by people who are fully vaccinated, the law stipulates, or they have recently tested negative for COVID-19. Digital or paper certificates will be accepted under the law. Both measures prompted widespread demonstrations across France. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and elsewhere, describing the mandates as needlessly draconian while calling French President Emmanuel Macron a “tyrant.”