COVID-19 Daily - July 13, 2021: France announces record bookings for vaccination; Malta is accused of discrimination; The Netherlands apologizes!

By Sorin Last updated July 13 2021

In today's edition of COVID-19 Daily, we have some interesting information about the evolution of the pandemic at European and global level.

The French president has announced increased restrictions and an extended model vaccination "passport", which will take effect in August. He said that access to restaurants and cafes, as well as inside malls, will be based on the vaccination certificate or a negative COVID-19 test. Macron said vaccines are not mandatory, but the "health permit" will be extended "to encourage as many citizens as possible to get vaccinated."".

Record of vaccination bookings in France

Following President Macron's statement, the French authorities reported a record number of vaccination reservations. The site Doctolib a reported the registration of over 1 million vaccination reservations on Monday night. COVID-19 tests will no longer be free after September 15 in France, as the government encourages vaccination.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands apologized for the premature reduction of COVID-19 restrictions. Mark Rutte is currently the caretaker Prime Minister, but is expected to remain in office.

The EU is concerned about Malta's plan to ban the travel of the unvaccinated, Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said on Monday. "We are concerned that these measures could discriminate against those who are not fully vaccinated." he said. The commission said it recognized Malta's right to protect its citizens, but called on the country's government to "explain" the plan.

In Great Britain, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon to announce whether the country will implement England's plan and relax anti-covid measures from 19 July. Scottish officials had hoped to announce a similar move on August 9, but this date could be rejected after a sharp rise in cases in recent weeks.

Most European countries have rules in place for wearing a mask on the nose and mouth in public places. But the British government will take a different approach and place responsibility on the private sector. Instead of imposing masks or saying they are no longer needed, The British Minister of Health, Sajid Javid, said that transport operators will be able to refuse passengers who do not wear masks or will be able to leave them in the means of transport without a mask. The fact is that no more fines will be imposed after July 19. Another minister, Stephen Barclay, said the move was about "trusting the authorities in the British public".

A man who tried to use fake COVID-19 documents to board a plane in Brussels was sentenced to one year in prison and fined $ 4.700. It is the second such conviction in Belgium.