Lunchtime News Tuesday July 20th 2021

State Council-The French state council has recommended that the new health pass should not be required to be shown before people are allowed into large shopping centres.

The council says that it’s concerned that people will not be able to purchase “essential supplies” if they’re denied access to shopping centres.

The council in consultation with President Macron and senior government ministers has also said that the fine for a first offence of not producing a health pass where required by law will be reduced from 9,000 to 1,000 euros.

However in the event of someone breaking the health pass law 4 times in a period of 30 days ,a fine of 9,000 euros can be imposed and a one year jail term.

 

Up and down-The popularity of President Macron has continued to fall although more people have said that he’s handling the coronavirus pandemic well.

A new poll carried out by Oxada-Dentsu Consulting for France Inter and the regional press shows Mr Macron’s approval rating at 39 percent-down two points on the previous poll.

However ,42 percent of French people judge that the President has acted positively to control the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Macron’s personal image is still not good in the eyes of voters with 71 percent judging him as a “President for the rich”.

Among other French political figures ,the former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe remains the most popular with a 47 percent approval rating followed by Roselyne Bachelot on 39 percent and the Health Minister Olivier Veran on 31 percent.

The leader of the far right RN party Marine le Pen polls only a 28 percent approval rating.

 

St Laurent fire-Firefighters have been battling to control a fire that broke out in a house on the seafront in Saint Laurent du Var last night.

7 fire trucks were called to the scene at around 9pm after flames were seen coming from the house which is divided into four separate flats.

30 firefighters eventually managed to put out the fire which is thought to have started in an unoccupied part of the house.Two families with children have been placed in emergency accommodation.

 

Still no swimming-Beaches in Saint Laurent du Var are still closed following last week’s fire at a water treatment plant.

The closure is frustrating especially with the current hot weather but authorities say that swimming is still not safe owing to the presence of potentially dangerous bacteria in the water.

The water treatment plant fire was given as the initial reason for closing the beaches but it now appears that the pollution may have come down the Var river following recent bad weather in the mountains.

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