Singles in France have been hit with new challenges following the introduction of the vaccine pass. The introduction of the new pass means that people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 can no longer meet up in bars, restaurants and cinemas – popular dating spots.
Since last summer, Tinder has offered users “Vaccinated” or “Vaxxing Soon” interactive stickers for their profiles. In the US, Tinder – along with other apps such as Hinge, OKCupid and Match – partnered with the White House last year to raise vaccine awareness by offering features such as profile badges, boosts and “super likes” for users who revealed they were vaccinated. The UK government also teamed up with leading dating brands to provide “in-app bonuses” for vaccinated profiles.
Salome, a 24 year old French single, said: “No restaurants, bars or cinemas with a non-vaccinated person … dating will become quite limited. The only alternative in the middle of winter is to meet in an apartment. To be on the safe side, few girls would agree to go to a guy’s place for a first date if they don’t know him, and neither would I. This will reduce the number of dates for these unvaccinated men.”
Adèle, 34, is among the 20 percent of people in France who are not vaccinated and told France 24: “I’ve never had a setback on dating apps. During lockdown, apps were the only way to meet someone, whereas before the pandemic, I used to get to know people when I went out to dance once a month or to a friend’s place.
“Seeing men during the lockdown allowed me to keep that social connection. Since everything was closed, we would meet at each other’s houses, despite the curfews.”
“Before the pandemic, I would go through the initial stage of having a drink or watching a movie with someone. Now skipping that step has become normal for me. Since Covid, dates immediately become more serious.”