Coronavirus: update on the pandemic in the world – Orange news

AFP, published on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 7:43 p.m.

New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

– EU: 70% of adults fully vaccinated –

The European Union has reached its target of 70% of adults fully vaccinated, announced the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, but “we must go further”, she said.

Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stressed the need for the EU to reduce the “worrying gap” in vaccination rates between member states.

It is in the eastern part of the EU that we find the most backward countries, in the first rank of which Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia.

– Some 10 million French people still need to be vaccinated –

Some 10 million people eligible for the Covid vaccination have not yet received any dose, the French Ministry of Health said, saying it is paying “special attention” to the 600,000 people over 80 in this situation.

The government had set a target of 50 million first-time vaccines at the end of August. This threshold will finally be reached a few days late, while the campaign continues at the rate of around 3 million injections per week.

– Record of contaminations in Israel –

Israel has reached a new record of daily contaminations since the start of the pandemic, with nearly 11,000 cases recorded on the eve of the start of the school year, according to the Ministry of Health.

In recent weeks, the number of cases has continued to increase against a background of the spread of the Delta variant in unvaccinated adults but also in people vaccinated more than six months ago, which has prompted the authorities to launch a campaign for the administration of a booster dose of the vaccine.

– Trials for a new vaccine candidate –

South Korean company SK Bioscience and UK laboratory GSK are starting advanced phase 3 trials for a Covid-19 vaccine candidate, according to a joint statement.

– End of the use of Sputnik V in Slovakia –

Slovakia officially stopped using Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, k Sputnik V on Tuesday, after it has already been used for more than 18,500 people in the country.

The authorities had bought 200,000 doses in March, becoming, after Hungary, the second EU country to use this product which has not been authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Russia bought back 160,000 unused doses in July.

– India: record rebound in GDP in Q2 –

Indian economic activity saw a record rebound of 20.1% between April and June compared to the same period the previous year, marked by the pandemic, according to official figures.

India had experienced a historic drop in GDP of 24.4% in the same period last year when many companies shut down.

– Cuba: a distance start to school –

Cuba will not reopen its schools before having vaccinated all the children of the country, announced the Minister of Education, specifying that the start of the school year would take place next Monday but at a distance.

The island, which has developed its own vaccines, is currently conducting pediatric clinical trials with its Abdala and Soberana vaccines, with the intention of immunizing children as young as three.

– Berlin nightclubs open to vaccinated people –

Clubs and discos will reopen indoors from next weekend in Berlin, but will only be accessible to people vaccinated or cured of Covid-19, the municipality announced.

Wearing a mask will not be imposed in the many nightclubs in the German capital, known the world over for its nightlife.

– 4.5 million deaths worldwide –

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 4.507.823 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established at midday Tuesday by AFP from official sources.

The United States has been the most affected country in the world since the start of the pandemic, with 638,715 dead, ahead of Brazil (579,574), India (438,560), Mexico (258,491) and Peru (198,263).

The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that calculated from official figures.