Paris (AFP)
New reports, new measures and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
- Turn of the screw in France ... -
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday the return of confinement throughout the national territory "from Friday" and until December 1, at a minimum.
"This confinement will be adapted on three main points: schools will remain open, work can continue, nursing homes and retirement homes can be visited," however, said the president.
Private meetings outside the strict family nucleus will be excluded, public gatherings prohibited and travel from one region to another prohibited.
"Once again, you have to have a lot of humility, we are all in Europe surprised by the evolution of the virus", he said before announcing a reconfinement lasting one month, at least. .
The country risks according to him "at least 400,000 additional deaths" within a few months if nothing is done.
- ... and in Germany -
Germany will close restaurants, sports and cultural facilities from Monday for one month, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday.
The government has developed a new emergency aid program of up to 10 billion euros to support sectors of the economy affected by the tightening of restrictions.
Politicians still hope to save the holiday season despite most Christmas markets, so dear to Germans, have been canceled due to the pandemic.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, 74, was transferred to Germany on Wednesday evening for "in-depth medical examinations", the presidency said in Algiers after the announcement of suspected cases in his entourage.
- Elsewhere in Europe -
Belgium, which has become the country in the world where the coronavirus circulates most intensely during the second wave, had 5,554 hospitalized patients on Wednesday, very close to the peak recorded on April 6 (5,759), according to data from the Belgian Institute of Public Health Sciensano.
A new crisis meeting was called on Friday.
"More drastic measures will perhaps be necessary in the coming days", admitted Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
The small principality of Andorra will implement teleworking in the administration.
Five additional Spanish regions, including Madrid, will complete their territory before the long All Saints weekend, during which families traditionally go to meditate at the graves of their loved ones.
- UN appeal for school -
The UN agencies Unesco and Unicef, as well as the World Bank, have called for leaving schools open in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting the damage done to schooling in poor countries.
"We don't need to look far to see the devastation the pandemic has caused to children's learning around the world," said Robert Jenkins, head of the Education Department at Unicef (United Nations Fund for childhood).
- More than 44 million cases -
The pandemic of the new coronavirus has killed at least 1,168,750 people around the world, according to an assessment established by AFP on Wednesday from official sources.
More than 44,056,470 cases of infections have been officially diagnosed.
The United States is the most affected country in terms of both deaths and cases, with 227,673 deaths, followed by Brazil with 158,456 deaths, India with 120,010 deaths.
Mexico crossed the 90,000 death mark on Wednesday and Argentina that of 30,000 deaths.
- the drug remdesivir has already brought in nearly 900 million dollars -
The antiviral drug remdesivir, used for hospital patients with Covid-19, has already earned its manufacturer Gilead Sciences nearly $ 900 million in the third quarter, the pharmaceutical company announced.
Remdesivir, whose trade name is Veklury, was one of the first drugs to demonstrate relative effectiveness in rigorous trials in shortening the recovery time of patients hospitalized with coronavirus by several days.
But it has not been proven to reduce mortality.
- "Insult" to the victims -
"The Trump administration's refusal to recognize the reality we are living in, as nearly 1,000 Americans die every day, every day, is an insult to every person who suffers from Covid-19 and every family who has lost a loved one ", launched the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
"Joe Biden talks a lot but does nothing," Donald Trump replied to reporters in Las Vegas.
- NBA revenues down 10% -
NBA revenues fell 10%, amounting to $ 8.3 billion (about 7 billion euros) for the 2019-2020 season heavily disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, ESPN reports Wednesday.
As for the Boston Marathon, canceled for the first time in its history this year, its 2021 edition was postponed from April to "at least fall", according to its organizers.
burs-ahe / ob
© 2020 AFP