With health pass in place, France's catering businesses fear losing ground to border venues

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PARIS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The ritual of morning coffee, outdoor dining or even access to culture venues has become complicated in France where a coronavirus health pass was introduced early this week, forcing many to flock to border cities to enjoy the communal life without restriction, and putting on edge local catering activity.

In the Belgian city of Tournai, some 30 km from northern France's Lille, Vincent Surmont, a brasserie's manager, told LCI television that an increase in French clients has been noteworthy since the new rules to curb virus spread came into force in the neighboring country.

"I can easily say that the number of French clients is increasing between 20 and 30 percent," he said.

On the French side, the situation is not so rosy.

"We are going to lose a good part of our clients. All those who are reluctant to get vaccined will go to Belgium ... They have already told us about that," Laurent Dumet, a bar manager in Halluin, north of France, told France Bleu Nord regional radio.

The same concern is echoed by Roland Heguy, president of the union for hospitality businesses, UMIH. He estimated that "the health pass will lead to between 15-20 percent drop in visitor numbers."

"A recent opinion poll showed that more than 40 percent of French people do not plan to go to restaurants during their holidays once the health pass becomes compulsory. This would only increase the economic pressure on our sector ..." he said in a recent interview with the La Croix newspaper.

In France, people must now present a certificate which proves they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, test negative or recently recovered from the respiratory illness, if they want to enter restaurants and bars, or to have access to long-distance train and plane journeys or non-emergency treatment in hospital.

The health pass is also required to visit museums or to go to cinemas, amusement parks, swimming pools and gyms.

The new rules were approved by the National Assembly in July. While the executive argues that the new rules are needed to contain the highly contagious Delta variant and prevent fresh national lockdowns, critics say the measures are an attack on people's personal freedoms. Enditem

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