Madrid (AFP)

The coronavirus pandemic that has already killed nearly 25,000 people worldwide continues to devastate Europe on Friday, with the announcement of a record number of deaths in 24 hours for Spain, the contamination in the United Kingdom of Boris Johnson, and a severe warning from the authorities in France.

But if the epicenter of the Covid-19 disease remains Europe with nearly 275,000 officially diagnosed cases, according to a count carried out by AFP Thursday at 7:00 p.m. GMT, the United States seems on the way to eventually overtake the Old Continent .

Latin America, for its part, exceeds 10,000 reported cases, according to an AFP count.

Regarding deaths, Italy is the most affected (more than 8,160 dead), ahead of Spain (more than 4,850 dead) and China (3,292 dead). The United States, with 1,201 deaths Thursday evening, was in sixth position behind Iran (2,378) and France (1,696).

But the number of daily deaths in Spain is now higher than that of Italy, with 769 deaths recorded in 24 hours, a new record in the country, according to the latest report from authorities on Friday.

- "We will have to hold on" -

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned Friday against "the extremely high wave" of the disease which "is sweeping over France", predicting that "the situation will be difficult in the days to come".

"We will have to hold out," he urged, while the epidemic has worsened in France with 365 deaths recorded Thursday at the hospital in 24 hours, including that of a 16-year-old girl, the most young French victim of the coronavirus, however reputed to mainly affect the elderly or vulnerable.

New proof that the virus is playing on social barriers, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Minister of Health Matt Hancock announced Friday that they had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Boris Johson presents according to his services only "mild symptoms" which do not prevent him from continuing to lead his country's response to the pandemic which threatens to overwhelm hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Before the 55-year-old conservative leader, only Prince Albert II of Monaco had been officially contaminated by Covid-19 among heads of state and government, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau placed in isolation after being in contact with persons tested positive.

South Africa on Friday recorded its first two deaths, hours after entering confinement for three weeks. The most industrialized country in Africa is by far the most affected on the continent with 927 cases reported for 57 million inhabitants.

It is about "preventing a human catastrophe of enormous proportions," said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

- War against the invisible -

"You are there to wage war on an invisible enemy. We expect you (...) to go out on the streets to defend our people against the virus," the head of state launched Thursday in military uniform. , to a detachment of soldiers ready to deploy to enforce containment.

For Ditebogo Koenaite, airline pilot, "the middle and upper classes will respect confinement". "But I do not think that the most modest can respect social distancing. It is harder in poor neighborhoods because they share the toilets" in particular, she noted.

Across Africa, the virus continued to spread at an alarming rate on Friday with more than 2,700 cases and at least 73 deaths.

In Singapore, the authorities are now threatening six months in prison for those who do not respect the safety distances between individuals.

Meanwhile, Italy carefully harbored hopes of a relative slowdown in new cases of contamination (only + 8%, as in the previous two days).

But the mayor of Brescia, a town in the North hit hard, believes that "the contaminations are much more numerous than what is said". "The number of deaths is also higher because there are many sick people at home and we do not know how they are," said Emilio Del Bono.

- China-United States Union -

The Covid-19 crisis "will explode dramatically" in Campania which "will live in the next ten days a real hell," warns Vincenzo De Luca, governor of this region where Naples is located.

The international community has also endeavored to mobilize astronomical sums to save the world economy.

To the rescue programs launched by several countries at the national level is added since Thursday that concocted by the leaders of the G20 gathered at the summit by videoconference under the presidency of Saudi Arabia. They promised to inject 5,000 billion dollars to support the global economy struck by the pandemic.

The new coronavirus has halted the activity of many sectors and forced three billion Earthlings to seal up at home.

The pandemic will lead to a drop in tourist visits from 20 to 30% in 2020, also predicts the World Tourism Organization.

Despite their rivalry, China and the United States "must unite against the epidemic" of Covid-19, said President Xi Jinping during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. "China is ready to continue unreservedly sharing information and experiences with the United States," he added.

This appeasement message comes after weeks of verbal contests between Beijing and Washington. Chinese official suggested the virus may have come from the United States, while Donald Trump and his family took pleasure in stressing the "Chinese" nature of the virus and complained that they had been misinformed about the severity of the virus. epidemic.

burs-thm / cr

© 2020 AFP