Paris (AFP)

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

- Israel is reconfiguring itself -

Israel reconfigured itself on Friday, the first day of the Jewish holiday season, causing discontent among many of the population.

- Spain tightens the screw -

Epicenter of the epidemic in Spain, the Madrid region imposes drastic restrictions.

858,000 people, or 13% of the population of the capital, living in disadvantaged southern neighborhoods, will not be able, from Monday, to leave their neighborhood except for essential reasons such as working, going to the doctor or bringing children at school.

- France hardens its measures -

In the Paris region, where the epidemic is worsening, the health authorities have called to avoid private gatherings of more than 10 people.

In the south-east, in Nice, no more aperitifs on the beach after 8:00 p.m., picnics for more than ten people in the parks.

In Toulouse (south-west), the measures restricting festive activities are reinforced.

Saliva tests will be allowed in the country, but only for people with symptoms.

France recorded 13,215 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday in 24 hours, a new record since the launch of large-scale tests.

- "Second wave" in the UK -

The UK is facing a "second wave" of the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned, his government not ruling out resorting to new general containment for all of England as a "last line of defense".

New restrictions have come into effect for two million inhabitants of the north-east of England, including banning meetings between people from different homes and introducing a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in places of entertainment.

- New restrictions elsewhere in Europe -

The Greek government is stepping up protective measures in the face of the resurgence of cases especially in the Athens region, again closing its cinemas and partially returning to telework.

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

In Iceland, Reykjavik's bars and nightclubs are kept closed for four days from Friday.

- Recommended dexamethasone -

After the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in turn recommends dexamethasone, a drug from the corticosteroid family, for the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19 that require administration of oxygen.

- More than 946,000 dead worldwide -

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has killed at least 946,727 people worldwide since the onset of the disease at the end of December, according to a report established by AFP on Friday from official sources.

More than 30,218,930 cases of infection have been officially diagnosed.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 197,655 dead.

Next come Brazil (134,935), India (84,372), Mexico (72,179) and the United Kingdom (41,705).

- Prolonged closure of the USA-Canada border -

The border between the United States and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel until October 21.

- Cats and dogs, danger!

People with Covid-19 can transmit the disease to their cats and dogs, study finds.

The new coronavirus is a zoonosis, an infectious disease passed from animals to humans.

While it appears that pets don't play a major role in its spread, a growing body of data shows that cats, dogs, and even tigers can catch it.

burx-fm / ber / fjb

© 2020 AFP