NIGHTCLUB. After six weeks of closing nightclubs in France, the government presented its timetable for the reduction of health measures linked to Covid-19 and the Omicron variant.
[Mis à jour le 20 janvier à 19h50] The announcement was most anticipated. During a press conference given at the end of a new Defense Council, this Thursday, January 20, Jean Castex announces the reopening of the nightclubs on February 16. An important deadline in the timetable for the lifting of health restrictions announced by the Prime Minister, encouraged by a “change in the situation” which allows the government to “consider a reduction” of the health measures put in place in recent weeks.
After initially announcing four weeks of closure from December 10, 2021, the government had extended the measure for three additional weeks: from Monday January 3 and therefore, until January 24, 2022 (at least), the nightclubs were to remain closed. Given the health situation, this reopening date seemed premature.
Regarding the health protocol that will be applied on February 16, for the reopening of nightclubs, it remains to be defined. “For masks in nightclubs, we will see”, explains the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, wishing “not to take additional risks” if the health situation does not allow the mask to be removed on the dance floors. Will a negative test be required on entry in addition to the vaccination pass? “The vaccine pass will be imposed at the entrance to nightclubs”, explains Olivier Véran, who explains that if “the law allows” to request a negative test within 24 hours, the government “does not have the ambition to do. In any case, not in the state.”
In an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex had initially announced the closure of nightclubs for a period of four weeks, starting Friday December 10 and until Thursday January 6, 2022 inclusive, before extending for three additional weeks, pushing the reopening date is January 24. Finally, with this new press conference given by Jean Castex and Olivier Véran this Thursday January 20, the nightclubs will be able to reopen on Wednesday February 16, 2022.
The nightclubs, closed for sixteen months, only reopened on July 9, with a strict protocol. Protocol to which the mask was added once more following a speech by the Minister of Health on November 25, 2021. Nightclubs were among the places where the rate of Covid-19 contamination is the highest.
As revealed by the new part of the ComCor study by the Institut Pasteur relayed by The Parisian, private parties, bars and nightclubs stand out as being the most at risk: among those under 40, the risk of contamination increases by 340% (150% among those over 40) compared to a person who does not have not frequented discotheque. For comparison, a car trip with other people increases the risk by 30%. It is with this study that the government justifies the closing of discotheques.
Compulsory before the closing of nightclubs in December, the mask will still be compulsory when night establishments reopen on February 16. This was announced by Olivier Véran and Jean Castex during their press conference, Thursday January 20, 2022 at the end of a new Defense Council. However, a negative test will not be compulsory in addition to the vaccination pass, which will be essential to go dancing.
Nightclubs and discos closed in March 2020, in line with government measures taken to stem the coronavirus pandemic in France. If the restaurants, cinemas, museums and theaters had reopened first, just like the libertine clubs or the dance cafés, the managers of the night establishments had waited longer for the green light from the government.
After months of vagueness, the date of July 9 was finally that of the opening, following having been confirmed by the government, Alain Griset, former Minister Delegate in charge of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. According to calculations by the SNDLL (National Union of Nightclubs and Leisure Places), of the 1,648 nightclubs in France before the pandemic, 25% were in difficulty when they reopened, and 131 were in liquidation. Only 1,500 nightclubs might have reopened. Their new closure, for nine weeks between December and February 2022, is a new blow for the profession.
