President of France Emmanuel Macron stated in a televised address on July 20 that the so-called “Passe-Sanitaire” (health passport) will be needed for anyone to access any events or venues with more than 50 people.

Visitors to France’s world-famous museums, theaters, sporting venues and tourist attractions; such as the Eiffel Tower, now need to show proof of vaccination. Having a recent negative test, or proving a recent recovery from an infection is also acceptable.

The health passport will be required at restaurants, cafés, and retail districts starting in August.

The measure is part of a countrywide campaign to combat a recent surge in new cases linked to the delta variant.

Some tourists were surprised by the new “health passport” regulation which took effect on Wednesday. People who visited  Eiffel Tower after that had to wait in line for a virus test at the venue.