Shopping centers satisfied with escaping the systematic health pass
If the hypothesis of making the health pass compulsory in all department stores and centers of more than 20,000m² seemed to hold the rope in recent days, parliament finally opted for a case-by-case application. In concrete terms, following the vote on the Health Crisis Management Bill, the extension of the pass to all shopping centers was set aside, as suggested by the Council of State.
Read alsoShopping centers: imbroglio around the sanitary pass
However, the pass may apply in certain cases, as indicated by a last-minute amendment tabled by the government. The department prefect may choose to extend the health pass to “large stores and shopping centers, beyond a threshold defined by decree”, when their “characteristics and the seriousness of the risks of contamination justify it”. In other words, the local health situation will make it possible to extend the pass to these establishments, but the conditions of application must then guarantee “people’s access to essential goods and services”. Small clarification: for shopping malls that host establishments subject to the health pass, such as restaurants, the verification will be done at the entrance to the latter, not at the entrance to the center.
This burst is welcomed by the representatives of the profession who feared to see the pass imposed on all establishments. However, they remain on their guard: “every day can modify the decision taken the day before,” points out Jean-Pierre Dry, president of the Federation of Cooperative and Associated Commerce (FCA). Because the details are not yet known. Which centers are affected by the prefect's decision, those of at least 20,000m² or more? What thresholds will be defined? How will the controls take place? “We are a little on the lookout,” explains Gontran Thüring, general delegate of the National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC). Jean-Pierre Dry also regrets "not having had contact with the government".
The boss of the FCA questions in particular the distribution of costs: “Who will bear the economic impact of the measure?”, He wonders. Because it is potentially high for managers. On the one hand, these constraints will reduce customer entries and create a shortfall. On the other hand, the installation of specific infrastructures and the recruitment of personnel to control the pass will generate additional costs. “The cost amounts to an average of 30,000 euros per month and per entry,” estimates Gontran Thüring.
A measure “difficult to apply”
The representatives therefore see a measure that goes in the right direction, but they still consider it insufficient. "We are half-happy", summarizes Gontran Thüring. This decision is preferable to a general application, but it is “not fair and remains difficult to apply”, according to the representative. Thus, access to a pharmacy or a food store in the shopping center must remain guaranteed, according to the Council of State. "It will be impossible to sort" points Gontran Thüring.
The boss of the CNCC believes that these establishments are already making many efforts to fight against the proliferation of the virus: obligation to wear a mask inside, gauge of 8m² per person, installation of CO2 sensors to check air quality ... Thanks to these limits, "no cluster was detected in a shopping center in France," he says.
Read alsoSanitary pass: uncertainty about shopping centers
And what if vaccination zones are set up within major shopping malls, as the profession suggests? “We will find ourselves in the paradoxical situation where people have to show a test to go get vaccinated,” he laughs. Not to mention that “the measure would be counterproductive by creating long queues, where people would be stuck”. All these points will have to be clarified in a decree, expected quickly by the profession. Despite everything, twists are not to be excluded, because the law must now pass before the Constitutional Council. His return is expected on August 5.
- Prev
- Next
