Paris (AFP)

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

- More than 1.3 million dead -

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 1,305,039 people worldwide since December, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Saturday at 11:00 GMT.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 244,364 deaths, ahead of Brazil (164,737 dead), India (129,188 dead), Mexico (97,624 dead) and the United Kingdom (51,304 dead).

- Multiplication of restrictions in Europe -

Greece announced on Saturday the closure of its primary schools, kindergartens and nurseries, until the end of the month due to the resurgence of cases of contamination.

In Ukraine, non-essential businesses, including restaurants, malls and gyms, close for three weekends on Saturday.

In Portugal, the state of emergency and the curfew - from 11 p.m. on weekdays and now from 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays - are in effect until at least 23 November.

In France, where we will have to "live with the virus over the long term", Prime Minister Jean Castex, said he was working on "rules" for the country until the arrival of a vaccine, in an interview with daily Le Monde on Saturday.

- "Total" confinement in Lebanon -

Lebanon began on Saturday a new "total" confinement, for a minimum of two weeks in order to combat the skyrocketing increase in Covid-19 cases which is having repercussions on hospitals now saturated.

The authorities say they fear a collapse of the health system due to a saturation of the number of intensive care beds and a high number of contaminations within the medical profession.

- Close schools in New York -

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who reopened public schools at the end of September on a partially face-to-face model, called on parents to "prepare" for their closure on Monday.

The test positivity rate in the largest American city - long remained close to 1% - is now increasing daily and exceeded the critical threshold of 3% on Friday for the first time.

- Turkmenistan: never too careful -

The president of Turkmenistan, a reclusive country in Central Asia which boasts of having "no coronavirus cases recorded to date", inaugurated a new hospital for patients with "infectious diseases of the respiratory tract" or " diseases transmitted by airborne droplets ".

- Overheating Czech crematoriums -

Crematoriums in the Czech Republic are on the edge of capacity following a rapid rise in coronavirus deaths, which has made the country the European leader in pandemic statistics.

Since the end of October, the daily number of deaths from Covid-19 in this EU member country of 10.7 million inhabitants has hovered around 200, against the average of 300 deaths from all causes.

burs-kd / mw / at

© 2020 AFP