The text was adopted by the Congress Standing Committee with eight votes on eleven, part of the non-independence opposed there.
Le Monde with AFP
New Caledonia repealed, Thursday, February 24, the vaccine bond, which had been decided in early September for the sensitive sectors and the general population.
“There is a new health context in New Caledonia and around the world. We must give back to the Caledonians the freedom of this choice of vaccination, even if we are not opposed to it,” said Virginie Ruffenach, elected of the rally-lr (right non-independence).
The text was adopted by the Standing Committee of the Congress, which sits during the intersections, with eight votes on eleven, part of the non-independentists opposing it. About one hundred and fifty antivax activists were gathered in front of the building.
A “catastrophic signal”
Caledonia together (right center, CE) denounced “a very serious mistake with regard to the Caledonian people”, notably deploring the absence of consultation “of the administrative, customary, medical and scientific authorities”.
“It is a catastrophic signal while vaccination remains the number one weapon to fight against the Virus [SARS-COV-2, Head of COVID-19],” said Philippe Michel, President of the EC Group. Congress, who had filed a preliminary ruling to obtain the adjournment of the debates.
This decision comes after the Caledonian elected officials have already pushed the deadlines of the deliberation on the vaccination obligation, voted unanimously on September 3rd.
66% of neo-Caledonians have Received two doses of vaccine
This introduced a vaccine obligation without sanction for the entire major population and with sanction for professionals in sensitive sectors and at risk. These sanctions were to apply from February 28th, but aroused controversy.
Caledonia together also lasted that this local repeal of the vaccine obligation also led that the one imposed on any traveler wishing to come to New Caledonia.
Legal work is underway to reorganize the health protocol on arrival (tests, containment), specified the authorities.
Long preserved COVID-19, New Caledonia recorded its first local cases in September and is currently a gradual decline in omicron variant contaminations.
The epidemic has done so far 299 dead while 178,916 people received two doses of vaccine, that is, 66% of the total population, and 82,641 were a reminder.