Paris (AFP)

New assessments, new measures, highlights: an update on the latest developments in the pandemic linked to the new coronavirus in the world.

- More than 257,000 dead -

The epidemic has killed at least 257,687 people worldwide since its appearance in December 2019 in China, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Wednesday at 11:00 GMT.

Over 3,675,869 cases have been officially diagnosed in 195 countries and territories.

The United States is the most affected country in terms of both death and cases, with 71,078 deaths for more than 1.2 million cases. The other countries most affected are the United Kingdom (29,427), Italy (29,315 dead), Spain (25,857) and France (25,531).

Russia has become the fifth country in Europe and the sixth in the world in number of cases (165,929, with 1,537 deaths).

- Decisive stage in Germany -

Germany wants to take a decisive step in deconfinement on Wednesday by authorizing the reopening of all stores and schools from May, according to a draft agreement between the government and the regions obtained by AFP.

Since the start of German deconfinement on April 20, the number of new coronavirus infections "has remained low" and "no new wave" of contamination has been observed to date, underlines the text justifying a new step.

- "Historical recession" -

The European Commission predicts a "historic" recession in the European Union this year due to the pandemic, with a record drop in gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.7% in the euro area, then a rebound of 6.3% in 2021, according to its economic forecasts published Wednesday.

Italy should in particular experience this year a "deep recession" with a GDP down 9.5% and debt at its highest (158.9%), said the Commission.

- South Korea -

Employees returning to open offices, museums and libraries: South Korea resumed Wednesday with a semblance of normalcy by lifting many of the restrictions decided after the decline in the number of new cases of the disease.

For a time the second most affected country in the world after China, Korea managed to reverse the trend without imposing confinement but thanks to massive tests, the wearing of masks and a very rigorous observation by the population of the rules of social distancing . The country counted only 250 deaths linked to Covid-19 for 51 million inhabitants.

- Beijing brushes aside the accusations -

US foreign chief "cannot present evidence" of leak of new coronavirus from Chinese laboratory "because it does not have one," Beijing said to Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, saying Sunday that 'There was "immense evidence" that the virus causing the Covid-19 pandemic had come from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

- Airbnb is laying off a quarter of its employees -

The boss of Airbnb, hit hard by the pandemic and containment measures, announced to his employees the dismissal of about 25% of its 7,500 employees worldwide, according to a memo published on the website of the American company.

- Call for a "radical transformation" -

Two hundred artists and scientists from around the world, such as Madonna, Robert de Niro, Isabelle Adjani and Nobel prizes in medicine, chemistry or physics, launched Wednesday in the French daily Le Monde an appeal against a "return to normal" after the pandemic and in the face of the "ongoing ecological disaster". They demand a "radical transformation" of the system against "consumerism".

© 2020 AFP