President of the Tokyo Olympics, Yoshiro Mori, resigns
According to The New York Times, on Feb. 12, Yoshiro Mori resigned as president of the Tokyo Olympics after sexist comments. Mori made controversial remarks suggesting that women talk too much, causing meetings to run longer than usual. Although calls to resign have come a week after the sexist comments were made, Mori showed no signs of actually resigning and stepping down from his position even after he has shared his initial apologies. However, after his comments were deemed inappropriate by the International Olympic Committee, he stepped down from his position. Mori’s decision to resign comes just five months before the postponed Olympics is set to commence. Mori’s resignation has come to be recognized as a small victory for women’s rights by Kanae Doi, the director of Human Rights Watch in Japan.
The U.K. may not allow residents to travel abroad until all adults are vaccinated
Britain had administered more than 12.5 million vaccine doses, almost 18% of their population, which, as of mid-February, is among the highest rates in the world. Even with the projection that they will have given the first shot of the two-dose coronavirus vaccine to the entire population by the end of June, they may not allow travel abroad until all adults are vaccinated. With infection rates dropping it is said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement on the possibility of loosening restrictions. For the moment, travel restrictions include a prison sentence of up to 10 years for anyone who travels to Britain and knowingly lies about where they have been in their travels.
French hit a plateau with COVID-19
COVID-19 infection rates remained high as vaccination rollout slows in France. According to The New York Times on Feb. 10, “There is a growing and glum sense in France that the country’s battle against the pandemic has stalled.” The country faced a third nationwide lockdown in January, but their president, Emmanuel Macron, decided suddenly against it. He instead opted for tightening restrictions to slow a new surge of the virus while circumventing the economic and social toll on the French people. Health experts have suggested that, without a strict lockdown, there is little chance of containing the further spread of COVID-19. The average daily infections tally has been about 20,000 in France without much fluctuation. According to The New York Times, “The government is projecting optimism… but the public’s mood is one of uncertainty.”
