• UK Health Minister Sajid Javid said that the UK does not need to implement “Plan B” to stop the country’s persistently high levels of COVID; instead, the country plans to expand the booster program to prevent new restrictions during the holiday season. Source

• Rising COVID-19 rates have led many European countries to impose new restrictions, triggering unrest. In Belgium, where an estimated 35,000 protesters were marching peacefully, several hundred people started smashing cars, throwing things at police officers and setting fires; police used water cannon and teargas in response. In the Netherlands, water cannon, dogs and mounted police were used to dispel young rioters, who lit fires and threw fireworks in The Hague and elsewhere. In Vienna, an estimated 40,000 people attended a demonstration; the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) called on protesters to carry banners reading “corona dictatorship” and “divided society”, while some wore yellow stars reading “not vaccinated.” Karl Nehammer, Austria’s Minister of the Interior, expressed outrage, saying in a statement that the star “insults the millions of victims of the Nazi dictatorship and their families.” in Guadeloupe, riots, looting and gunshots broke out during a protest over a 6pm to 5am curfew and France’s health pass, which is required to enter restaurants, cafes, cinemas and theatres, gyms, sporting events and for traveling on planes and long-distance trains. France is sending extra forces to the territory. Source

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