Requiring proof of vaccination to enter public spaces

with the vaccine pass will do a better job at encouraging people to get the jab than a vaccine mandate, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.

• Oh, the outrage! Anti-vax protesters rallied across French cities over the weekend, prompting backlash from President Emmanuel Macron who said that the government would “piss off” unvaccinated citizens into inoculation.

The German parliament is also hesitant to go ahead with a vaccine mandate considering the bill could take months to pass, a spokesperson for the ruling Social Democrats said.

The UK Education Minister backed lowering the quarantine period for infected persons to five days, noting the toll absenteeism has taken on schools.

• Backstage: Teacher absences reportedly average around 8.5 percent in the UK, and the ministry is creating contingency plans that include acquiring retired teachers’ help.

Amazon lowered paid leave to 40 hours per worker in line with the CDC recommendation that infected persons needed to isolate only for 5 days instead of 10.