France to suspend Covid vaccine passport rules from March 14

The rules will be relaxed a month before the presidential election

In this photo taken on May 19, 2021 visitors walk past the painting "La Joconde" The Mona Lisa by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci on display in the "Salle des Etats" at The Louvre Museum in Paris

(AFP via Getty Images)

France has announced that Covid passport rules will be lifted later this month.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said regulations requiring people to show they had been vaccinated to access certain public venues will be relaxed from March 14, as infection numbers are dropping across the country.

“The health situation is improving,” Castex told TF1 television on Thursday.

The relaxation will come into force about a month before the presidential election. The first round of the French election takes place on April 10. The expected run-off between candidates takes place a fortnight after that.

The man who oversaw the pandemic, President Emmanuel Macron is the favourite to win again.

Face masks will also no longer be needed indoors from March 14, with the exception of public transport.

The vaccine pass, however, remains mandatory to access elderly home care centres, Castex added.