Washington (AFP)
The United States, its president at the head, admitted that the death toll of the Covid-19 would undoubtedly be worse than expected, while the deconfinement accelerated Monday in Europe where more than 7 billion euros were raised for finance a vaccine.
After several weeks of restrictions, an air of freedom, even masked, blew on several European countries: the parks reopened in Italy, places of worship and museums did the same in Germany, and queues formed in front of the hairdressers in many cities.
But the recovery remains cautious and very partial for fear of a new wave of infections, with physical distancing rules still in force.
In the United States, which accounts for a third of the coronavirus cases recorded in the world, a grim observation is obvious: the country will probably pass the 100,000 mark among the Covid-19 deaths as of June, indicate multiple epidemiological models which do not predict contagion to stop during the summer.
One of the great models of the pandemic, that of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), has strongly revised upwards on Monday its prediction of deaths caused by the new coronavirus, from 72,000 to almost 135,000 deaths d 'here August 4, due to premature deconfinement in parts of the country.
Sunday, US President Donald Trump, accused by his critics of not having reacted quickly enough to the pandemic, had admitted that his country would "lose 75,000, 80,000 or 100,000 people". The United States already deplores more than 68,000 deaths due to the coronavirus.
- Infinite precautions -
Organizer of this donor conference - which has received support from key European leaders but has been ostensibly boycotted by the United States - Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the vaccine was "our best collective chance to defeat the virus. " "We have to develop it, produce it and deploy it in all corners of the world, at affordable prices," she said.
It is with immense caution that fifteen European states in turn undertook on Monday to lighten the containment measures imposed for weeks on their inhabitants.
Starting with Italy, the most affected country on the continent with nearly 29,000 dead, where residents are now allowed to go out, according to patterns varying by region.
In Rome, Stefano Milano, 40, does not hide his "joy" to regain a little freedom and to be able to receive a cousin while his son is preparing to "blow out his birthday candles".
But "the emergency is not over," said Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese.
From Portugal to Serbia via Belgium, many other countries also eased confinement on Monday, Austria, a pioneer in the matter, risking even a partial start of the school year, as well as some German Länder.
Athens is also out of its lethargy, with in particular a rush on the hairdressers. "I was looking forward to being able to get out, resume a social life, and have my beard trimmed so that I no longer looked like a bear," jokes Alexis Protopappas.
In Germany, where the lifting of restrictions is already well underway, the Minister of Sports said he was in favor of a resumption of the football season. The test of all German players in the 1st and 2nd divisions identified ten positive results out of 1,724 in the 36 clubs concerned (18 in each division).
- "Feed my family" -
In Turkey, seniors over the age of 65 and young people under the age of twenty, subject to compulsory confinement respectively since March 21 and April 4, will be allowed to leave their homes once a week for a period of four hours.
And in Israel, the government has announced further easing of measures to stem the spread of the epidemic, with the complete removal of movement restrictions for Israelis.
Nigeria, Tunisia and Lebanon also lifted restrictions on Monday. "We have just gone through a month of hunger and pain. Now I can earn money again and feed my family," said Ganiyu Ayinla, minibus driver in Lagos.
According to the World Health Organization, only the discovery of a vaccine or a cure will make it possible to put an end to the pandemic which paralyzes the world economy.
A hundred vaccine projects have been launched around the world, including ten in clinical trials, according to data released by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Until the discovery of a remedy, respect for barrier gestures and social distancing remain in order.
- What about schools? -
An imperative that turns a headache for countries that plan to reopen schools. Like France, where more than 25,000 dead have been counted and where this decision, which is to take effect from May 11, is controversial.
On the French island of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, the beginning of the deconfinement planned for May 11 has been postponed because "the virus is circulating there freely", said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted that he did not know if he would send his children to school if he lived in Quebec, a province where a return to school is also scheduled for May 11. "It is going to be an extremely personal decision for many parents," he said.
The opening of stores in Montreal has been postponed for a week, due to the insufficient number of beds available in hospitals and the risk that deconfinement will lead to an increase in hospitalizations.
The pandemic has claimed nearly 250,000 lives worldwide since its onset in December in China.
American Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo said Sunday he had "immense evidence" that the new coronavirus came from a sensitive laboratory in the city of Wuhan, the cradle of the pandemic.
Comments deemed "insane and imprecise" by Chinese television CCTV, according to which "the evil Pompeo spits his venom and spreads lies for no reason".
The WHO replied, more diplomatically, that the American statements were "speculative".
burx-iba / cjc
© 2020 AFP