With the first cluster of COVID-19 cases detected on Sunday, Tokyo is preparing to tackle the dilemma of the Olympic Games while European countries attempt to contain an expected surge in the pandemic by tightening entry conditions to France and the UK. Just five days before the opening of the Olympics, organizers discovered two athletes had tested positive for COVID-19 in the Olympic Village, following the announcement of the first infection among administrative staff at this massive venue that symbolizes the Olympic Games. A spokesperson for the organizing committee revealed on Sunday that the three infected individuals belong to "one country and one sport," without providing further details. The discovery of this first cluster in the Olympic Village raises concerns about a potential outbreak that will test the COVID containment measures that were prepared months ago.
On the other hand, the European Union hopes that the recent tightening of health measures in some member states will prove effective against the highly contagious Delta variant. It can feel some relief in that it outpaces the United States in the percentage of the population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine against the disease. After a lengthy delay in vaccination campaigns, French Minister of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune stated that the bloc "has vaccinated a larger portion of its population (55.5 percent) with at least one dose compared to the United States (55.4 percent)." He added, "We continue and accelerate" vaccination efforts. The European vaccination strategy, which started more slowly than that of the UK and the US due to a lack of sufficient supplies, faced criticism earlier this year aimed at the European Commission, which managed vaccine requests for the 27 member states.
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged on Saturday that half the population would be fully vaccinated by next week and reiterated his goal of reaching 70 percent by the end of summer. The day after the nighttime curfew was implemented in Catalonia, the Greek island of Mykonos, known for its festive nights, also began to reinstate some restrictions, including a curfew from 1 AM to 6 AM.
France has mandated, starting from midnight Saturday to Sunday, that unvaccinated travelers from the UK, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, and the Netherlands must present a COVID test taken less than 24 hours prior to entry. Until now, tests taken within 72 hours were accepted, except for travelers from the UK who were required to provide results from a test taken within 48 hours. Furthermore, France expanded its "red" list of countries to include Tunisia, Mozambique, Cuba, and Indonesia. Mask mandates are again in effect in specific outdoor areas in the east and southwest of the country.
The tightening of health measures announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, particularly the extension of the health pass requirement to shops, restaurants, cultural venues, airplanes, and trains, as well as mandatory vaccination for certain professions, has sparked anger among parts of the population. Multiple protests occurred in Paris and other major cities denouncing what protesters described as a "health dictatorship." Nevertheless, a survey revealed that these measures are accepted by a very large majority of the French public.
Fearing the persistent presence of the Beta variant, first detected in South Africa, the British government decided to impose quarantine measures on arrivals, even if they have been vaccinated. Beta is one of four variants classified as concerning by the World Health Organization, along with Alpha, Gamma, and Delta. British Health Minister Sajid Javid announced Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19 just two days before nearly all restrictions in England are set to be lifted, a relaxation that raises concerns due to the rising number of Delta variant cases.
Dr. Moid Limwan, a liver disease specialist at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, commented, "We are lifting all distancing measures on July 19, yet, conversely, we are imposing quarantine on vaccinated English residents returning from France." She expressed that this sends "a very mixed message to people." The Delta variant raises fears among governments of a renewed outbreak of the pandemic, which has claimed four million lives worldwide and may lead to further tightening by the end of summer. The European disease agency predicts a significant rise in COVID cases in the coming weeks, nearly fivefold by August 1. However, the agency expects that hospitalization and death rates will not rise at the same pace, thanks to vaccination campaigns.
In addition to tourist spots, large gatherings raise concerns about the spread of the virus, which applies to the Olympics as well as the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that began on Saturday, limited to sixty thousand vaccinated Muslims, both Saudi nationals and foreign residents in the Kingdom, compared to about 2.5 million who came from around the world in 2019.
