In France, the parliament passed a bill requiring vaccine proof or negative COVID-19 tests in order to enter restaurants or domestic travel. President Emmanuel Macron visited health centers as he condemned the anti-vax protestors for their lack of responsibility, “That is not freedom, that is called irresponsibility, that is called selfishness.” President Macron then went on to reiterate the need for vaccines, “A society only holds together when the freedom of each person is respectful of others, and therefore it is based on rights and duties.” France is experiencing another surge in COVID-19 infections as the nation surpassed England in their vaccinated population, but the percentage of population fully vaccinated remains at 47% which is slower than their neighboring European countries.
In Japan, the COVID-19 infections saw a dramatic uptick as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics began its tournaments. In Tokyo, the capital prefecture of Japan, the COVID-19 infection reached new heights as it surpassed 3,800 cases in a day. With more than 10,000 new cases every single day in Japan, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced new restrictions, “The government is dealing with the situation with a strong sense of urgency. At the request of local governments, I decided to call a meeting of experts on Friday to discuss the state of emergency and quasi emergency measures meant to curb the virus’s spread.” The prefectures of Tokyo and Okinawa are currently under a state of emergency, with the prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Osaka set to be under a state of emergency from August 2, 2021. With the percentage of population fully vaccinated at 27%, Japan is experiencing a slow start to the vaccination efforts compared to their European counterparts.
The Liberal Conservative 