Paris (AFP)

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

- USA: after the turkey, still more Covid -

A week after Thanksgiving family gatherings, the United States faces a further worsening of its health situation.

The country most affected in the world by the pandemic with 279,008 deaths linked to Covid-19, deplored on Friday more than 2,500 deaths and more than 225,000 new contaminations over the last 24 hours.

- Nearly 1,520,000 dead -

The new coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 1,519,213 people around the world since the end of December, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Saturday at midday.

After the United States, the countries most affected are Brazil with 175,964 deaths for 6,533,968 cases, India with 139,700 deaths (9,608,211 cases), Mexico with 108,863 deaths (1,156,770 cases) and the Kingdom United with 60,617 dead (1,690,432 cases).

- Progress in Italy -

The epidemic continues to progress in Italy: after recording a record of 993 deaths in 24 hours on Thursday, the country deplored 814 deaths the next day.

The first European country permanently affected by the Covid, Italy has recorded a total of 1.66 million cases, including 58,038 deaths.

New restrictions, including the ban on inter-regional travel between December 21 and January 6, were enacted to ward off the specter of a third wave in January.

- Moscow vaccine -

Moscow has started immunizing social workers, medical staff and teachers in some 70 centers.

Russia, which refuses any containment, was one of the first countries to develop a vaccine - called Sputnik V in reference to the Soviet satellite - in August, even before the start of large-scale clinical trials.

- Elections in the shadow of the Covid in Kuwait -

Half a million Kuwaitis voted for their deputies on Saturday, as authorities set up special polling stations for those infected.

The wealthy oil state of just over four million people has taken some of the strictest measures in the Gulf to curb the pandemic since the crisis began in the spring.

- Argentina: great fortunes against the virus -

The Argentine Senate has voted a new extraordinary tax on large fortunes in order to finance the fight against the epidemic.

This tax, which will be paid by some 12,000 taxpayers, is expected to bring in $ 3 billion in a country in recession since 2018.

- Brazil: shopping centers open 24 hours a day -

Rio de Janeiro's shopping centers will remain open day and night to avoid crowds for Christmas shopping in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus in this country which has passed the threshold of 175,000 dead.

© 2020 AFP