110,000 fake health passes are currently in circulation in France, the Interior Ministry revealed on Thursday.
The health pass, showing proof of vaccination, is required for access to public transport, restaurants and cultural events.
However, authorities have identified several thousand fake COVID-19 health passes in use around France.
Local authorities opened hundreds of investigations against makers and users of the forged documents.
France’s interior minister says the country has opened 400 investigations into networks providing fake COVID-19 health passes.
Police arrested 100 people as a result of 400 investigations since the health pass became mandatory in parts of public life.
“The problem with the fake health passes is that they often involve the collusion of real doctors or real nurses,” he told the France 2 broadcaster. This makes offences “very difficult to prove”.
They further risk up to five years in prison, he said, adding that some already received prison sentences.
Over the past weeks, angry protesters took to the streets across France in rejection of the new coronavirus health pass measure.
French authorities had earlier declared an intention to relieve Covid-19 restrictions by August 9, 2021, in France.
Health pass measures will mainly target those vaccinated or who have tested negative for Covid-19.
Targeted segment will have access to public venues, including long-distance transport, restaurants and cafés – even France’s famed outdoor terraces.
Hence, the protests, which continued for the fourth weekend in a row, came just two days before the new rules come into force.
Govt Defends Health Pass Measure
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the pass is ovligatory to avoid further restrictions as the country fights a fourth wave of the pandemic.
Macron, at his official holiday residence in the south of France, has in recent
days repeatedly taken to the social media platform TikTok, popular among young people, to get his message across.
“Get vaccinated, get vaccinated, get vaccinated,” Macron further said in the latest video on Friday.
“It’s a question of being a good citizen … our freedom is worth nothing if we infect our
friends, neighbours or grandparents. To be free is to be responsible.”
