Paris (AFP)

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

- Trump talks about postponing presidential election -

Less than 100 days before the presidential election, US President Donald Trump openly mentioned Thursday a possible postponement of the November election, highlighting, without proof, the risks of fraud linked to the Covid-19 epidemic .

The US GDP recorded a historic fall in the second quarter (-32.9% at an annualized rate, -9.5% compared to the second quarter of 2019), marking the official entry into recession of the world's largest economy. Even in the midst of the Great Recession of 2009, which followed the financial crisis, the decline had been four times less.

- Historical dive in Germany -

Germany suffered an unprecedented 10.1% drop in GDP in the second quarter and is experiencing its worst post-war recession.

GDP plunged 12.2% in Belgium, 10.7% in Austria and 17.3% in Mexico.

- Mexico in 3rd place of deaths -

The United States recorded 1,379 new deaths from the coronavirus in one day on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University count. By far the most affected, the country deplores a total of 151,826 deaths linked to Covid-19.

Behind the United States and Brazil (91,263 deaths), Mexico fell to third place among bereaved countries on Thursday, ahead of the United Kingdom with 46,000 deaths.

In total, the pandemic has killed at least 667,361 people around the world since the end of December, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Thursday at 11:00 GMT.

Argentina has recorded new daily records of victims of the coronavirus with 153 deaths and 6,377 contaminations recorded over the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.

- France: increase in hospitalizations -

The number of patients hospitalized in intensive care due to Covid-19 increased slightly for the first time since early April in France, where new daily cases exceed a thousand, health authorities announced on Thursday.

In total, 5,375 people are hospitalized for a coronavirus infection, including 381 severe cases in intensive care, one more than the day before.

This is the first time since April 9 that this closely watched indicator is no longer falling. The epidemic has caused 16 new deaths in hospitals in 24 hours. At least 30,254 people have died since the start of the epidemic.

- Beware of international travel (OMS) -

International travel should primarily concern humanitarian emergencies, essential personnel and repatriation, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Thursday, stressing that at-risk and vulnerable people should avoid travel.

"WHO recommends that priority be given to essential emergency travel," the organization said in its recommendations.

- The damage caused by the virus on employment -

The coronavirus pandemic is shaking entire sections of the global economy, including the airline industry, the automobile industry and distribution.

Airlines are holding on to the cost of drastic cuts in their workforce such as American Airlines (more than 41,000 departures), United Airlines (up to 36,000) and Delta Air Lines (10,000), German Lufthansa (22,000), Air Canada (at least 19,000), the British British Airways (12,000), EasyJet (4,500) and Virgin Atlantic (3,150), Air France (7,500).

In the automotive industry, the German BMW is cutting 6,000 jobs. Nissan closes a factory employing 3,000 workers in Barcelona. In the UK, more than 6,000 job cuts have been announced, including at Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley and McLaren. Among equipment manufacturers, the French Valeo announced 12,000 job destruction.

- Bad results in series -

The oil giant Royal Dutch Shell lost $ 18.1 billion in the second quarter, Total $ 8.4 billion, ENI 4.4 billion euros, Air France-KLM 2.6 billion euros.

- Bars and karaoke bars close earlier in Tokyo -

The governor of Tokyo on Thursday called on restaurants, bars and karaoke bars in the Japanese capital to close earlier in the evening, until the end of August, in an attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic which is regaining ground in the country.

Faced with the outcry, the Hong Kong authorities have given up on imposing the closure of restaurants at noon to fight against the coronavirus.

Brazil has reopened its borders to foreigners arriving by air, to revive the tourism industry.

Green light in Côte d'Ivoire for the reopening of bars, nightclubs and venues after five months of closure.

- Vaccines -

Mexico will participate in the final phase of testing for a vaccine against covid-19 that the French laboratory Sanofi is developing, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced Thursday.

- Death of the first dog to test positive in the US -

The first dog to test positive for coronavirus in the United States has died, reports National Geographic magazine, after experiencing symptoms apparently similar to those of many humans.

- Telecommuting until New Year -

Sweden called on Thursday, as it passed the 80,000 case mark, to work from home at least until the New Year.

Faced with a rebound in contamination, Iceland has decided to restrict certain gatherings, after three months of gradual relaxation of anti-Covid-19 measures.

burs-jah-paj / mw / oaa / vmt / plh

© 2020 AFP