This week in France: What you need to know
From the latest on the vaccine pass to planned school strikes and - on a more cheerful note - winter sales. Here's what is happening this week in France.
Monday
Bogdanoff funeral - funeral service in Paris for the Bogdanoff twins, who died within a week of each other from Covid. TV hearthrobs from the 1980s, the brothers were in recent years better know for their extensive plastic surgery and brushes with the law.
Tuesday
Vaccine pass debate - The French Senate will expected begin debating the bill that changes France's health pass to a vaccine pass. The bill, which has already been approved in the Assemblée nationale, means that negative Covid tests can no longer be used for the pass, banning unvaccinated people from a wide range of venues including bars, cafés, leisure centres, tourist sites, gyms and long-distance trains.
READ ALSO What changes when France's health pass becomes a vaccine pass?
Wednesday
Sales - In most parts of France the winter sales begin on January 12th, although they have already begun in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Meuse and Vosges. Sales periods in France are strictly regulated by the government, and areas that begin their sales today have until Tuesday, February 8th to continue with discounting goods.
Thursday
School strike - Two teaching unions have called for a strike in protest over the relaxation of the Covid protocol in schools, which they say puts teaching staff at risk.
Since the beginning of the new school term, the protocols for closing classes in case of a Covid outbreak have been relaxed.
Saturday
Health passes deactivate - From Saturday, the health passes of under-65s will begin to deactivate if they have not had a Covid booster within seven months of getting their second vaccine dose. The passes of over-65s began to deactivate on December 15th.
The seven-month limit - which from February will be shortened - applies to all health pass holders, even if they were vaccinated abroad or are only visiting France.
Those who use the Tous Anti Covid app will get a warning message when their pass is about to deactivate.
READ ALSO When will my French health pass deactivate
Vaccine pass - Friday was also the government's original target to turn the health pass into a vaccine pass.
However several suspensions of the debate in the Assemblée nationale means that the Senate were only able to start considering the bill from the start of this week, so the start date is likely to be slightly delayed. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that the government is now looking to begin the pass from the week beginning January 17th instead, provided it passes through the Senate without incident.
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Monday
Bogdanoff funeral - funeral service in Paris for the Bogdanoff twins, who died within a week of each other from Covid. TV hearthrobs from the 1980s, the brothers were in recent years better know for their extensive plastic surgery and brushes with the law.
Tuesday
Vaccine pass debate - The French Senate will expected begin debating the bill that changes France's health pass to a vaccine pass. The bill, which has already been approved in the Assemblée nationale, means that negative Covid tests can no longer be used for the pass, banning unvaccinated people from a wide range of venues including bars, cafés, leisure centres, tourist sites, gyms and long-distance trains.
READ ALSO What changes when France's health pass becomes a vaccine pass?
Wednesday
Sales - In most parts of France the winter sales begin on January 12th, although they have already begun in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Meuse and Vosges. Sales periods in France are strictly regulated by the government, and areas that begin their sales today have until Tuesday, February 8th to continue with discounting goods.
Thursday
School strike - Two teaching unions have called for a strike in protest over the relaxation of the Covid protocol in schools, which they say puts teaching staff at risk.
Since the beginning of the new school term, the protocols for closing classes in case of a Covid outbreak have been relaxed.
Saturday
Health passes deactivate - From Saturday, the health passes of under-65s will begin to deactivate if they have not had a Covid booster within seven months of getting their second vaccine dose. The passes of over-65s began to deactivate on December 15th.
The seven-month limit - which from February will be shortened - applies to all health pass holders, even if they were vaccinated abroad or are only visiting France.
Those who use the Tous Anti Covid app will get a warning message when their pass is about to deactivate.
READ ALSO When will my French health pass deactivate
Vaccine pass - Friday was also the government's original target to turn the health pass into a vaccine pass.
However several suspensions of the debate in the Assemblée nationale means that the Senate were only able to start considering the bill from the start of this week, so the start date is likely to be slightly delayed. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said that the government is now looking to begin the pass from the week beginning January 17th instead, provided it passes through the Senate without incident.
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