AP.- Novak Djokovic could defend his title french open under the latest rules Covid-19 adopted by the government, even if they still is not vaccinated when the Grand Slam begins next May.
Djokovic was deportee from Australia and was banned from playing for failing to comply with the country’s strict coronavirus vaccination rules.
Initially, it seemed that the Serbian would not be welcome in either Roland Garros under a new law aimed at excluding the unvaccinated from the stadiums, restaurants, bars and other public places.
As questions quickly arose about Djokovic’s status in France following his deportation from Australia, Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu earlier said that as soon as the law is passed, the country’s vaccination pass would be mandatory to enter stadiums, theaters or exhibitions, “for all spectators, practitioners, French or foreign professionals”.
But the vaccination pass is not limited to vaccination. Under the law that went into effect Monday, anyone who has proof that they tested positive in the previous six months is exempt from having to show a vaccine pass.
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That suggests that Djokovic could play at the French Open in May and June, the next Grand Slam tournament, because he said he gave positive in mid-December.
The organizers of the French Open earlier said that it is dtoo soon to comment, as restrictions may change between now and May depending on the virus situation.
Cafe owners and patrons in Paris welcomed the new law, which is fundamental to the virus strategy of the government.
“Personally, it reassures me in the sense that I know the people around me,” said Parisian Charles Tuile.
“We want to be in a place where we can be insurance in terms of health. The waiter verifies vaccination passes and even identification cards, so it’s reassuring in many ways,” he added.
France is recording the highest daily coronavirus infection figures in Europe, and hospitals continue to fill with virus patients, even though the number of people in intensive care units has fallen in recent days.
The government has imposed some other restrictions amid the rise of the omicron variant, focusing instead on the pass of the vaccine, approved by France’s parliament and Constitutional Council last week.
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Critics question whether approval will make much of a difference in a country where 94% of French adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and scattered groups staged protests Saturday against the new law.
The French government hopes to protect the most vulnerable and reduce pressure on overcrowded ICUs, where most patients are unvaccinated.
Since last summer, France requires a “health pass” to go to any cafe, museum, cinema or take a regional train or a domestic flight.
But until Monday, unvaccinated people could activate the pass by getting a recent negative test. The new pass only works for people who are fully vaccinated alreadythose who recently recovered from the virus.
“For me, it’s not a problem (showing the ID card), but I can perfectly imagine the kind of downward spiral it could trigger, it’s like racial discrimination,” said Tania Chauvin, 31, while eating at a restaurant in Paris.
France, meanwhile, opened access to booster shots on Monday for 12- to 17-year-olds.
