If you send your password to someone doing the job for you, don't forget to join a signed power of attorney (you can get the form at the local immigration) with a copy of your passport bio page signed by you.
If I believe the news, 75% of the French are infected with the English variant. That's why France reopened their borders with the UK, because the English variant is not considered a variant anymore but became the "standard" virus.
from 1987 to 2002, the rule already existed but nobody was ever asked to report. Then a smart guy decided to enforce that old law from the communist guerrilla era.
I got a 15 days "under consideration" stamp last time I applied, but the officer told me to come back the day after to get my full extension. The reason was that the signing officer was gone to Bangkok for a meeting.