Covid-19: Israel is reconfiguring, European countries toughen health measures - France 24

Madrid (AFP)

Several European countries, including Spain, France and the United Kingdom, on Friday toughened their measures to stem a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, when a second generalized containment came into force in Israel.

In Spain, the Madrid region is due to announce drastic restrictions on Friday to stem the epidemic.

These measures should mainly concern disadvantaged neighborhoods in the south of the capital and surrounding towns, the most affected by the epidemic.

Subjected in the spring to one of the strictest confinements in the world, Spain, with more than 30,400 dead, has seen the epidemic gallop since July, until it becomes the country with the number of cases reported to its highest population in the EU.

"The number of places in intensive care is already no longer enough for the number of Covid patients", explained to AFP Santiago Usoz, nurse in the emergency department of the Madrid hospital on October 12, specifying that there has 32 beds for 35 patients.

In recent weeks, this central region of 6.6 million inhabitants concentrated a third of the new cases and new deaths recorded in Spain.

- Discontent in Israel -

The first developed country to impose such a measure, Israel reconfigured itself on Friday, the first day of the Jewish holiday season, causing the discontent of a large part of the population.

"The health system has raised the red flag," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said to justify the three-week lockdown, which will coincide with the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah (New Year, celebrated this weekend), Yom Kippur ( forgiveness day) and Sukkot (hut festivals).

But this measure is more contested than during the first wave of the epidemic in the spring.

"The confinement is unjustified," said Tamir Hefetz, organizer of a protest that brought together 400 people in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening.

"It harms the population and the economy, generates unemployment and suicides".

A country of nine million people, Israel has recorded 1,163 deaths from the coronavirus.

Between Thursday evening and Friday noon, 5,238 new cases of contamination were recorded, a record.

As the Jewish holidays begin, the French Jewish religious authorities have called on the faithful to be extremely careful.

More than 30 million cases of Covid-19, including more than 946,000 deaths, have been officially recorded worldwide, according to a count carried out by AFP on Friday.

With 197,655 deaths, the United States is by far the most bereaved country, ahead of Brazil (134,935 dead) and India (84,372 dead).

These three countries account for more than half of the patients recorded in the world.

- No fireworks in London -

In Europe, where the number of new cases is now higher than those recorded in March and April, the level of transmission is deemed "alarming" by the World Health Organization (WHO), and has led the authorities in several countries to tighten up the opinion.

New restrictions came into effect on Friday in the north-east of England, affecting two million people: meetings between people from different homes are prohibited, a curfew is applied from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in places of entertainment.

The British government does not rule out resorting to a new general containment for all of England, if local measures are not enough.

Daily cases have exceeded 3,000 for several days in the United Kingdom, the most bereaved country in Europe with nearly 41,700 dead.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has already announced the cancellation of the New Year's fireworks display in the British capital.

The Czech Republic imposed on Friday the wearing of masks in class for students and pupils over eleven years old.

With a record number of 3,130 new cases on Thursday, it reached in 24 hours a figure comparable to the whole of March.

- A marriage with tragic consequences -

In France, the Minister of Health announced that new restrictions, including "the possible closure of bars" or "the ban on public gatherings" would be decided in several large cities, including Marseille, Lyon and Nice.

Ten days before its kick-off, exceptionally in the fall, the Parisian tennis tournament at Roland-Garros will only receive 11,500 daily spectators, against more than 40,000 usually.

A sign that private parties are one of the main vectors of contagion, the small American state of Maine has experienced an "ultra-propagative" Covid-19 event.

The "contact tracers" were able to trace a wedding, attended by 65 people on August 7, 177 infected and seven dead, none of whom had yet attended the event.

The Canadian province of Ontario has adopted dissuasive measures against the organizers of gatherings of more than 10 people inside homes, and more than 25 people outside: they are now liable to a minimum fine of 10,000 Canadian dollars (6,400 euros).

And each participant faces a fine of $ 750.

And it is in front of an empty room that the comedian Jimmy Kimmel will present Sunday evening in Los Angeles the Emmy Awards, equivalent of the Oscars for American television, during a 100% virtual show, while the lucky winners will accept their prestigious award from the comfort of their living room or bedroom.

burx-cac / sg / avz

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