The United States recorded nearly 4,000 deaths in 24 hours, a new record, as the year 2020 comes to an end.
But many countries are approaching 2021 with hope, thanks to the increasingly widespread vaccines.
In France, the Christmas Eve of December 31, at high risk, will be under high police surveillance.
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The United States came close to the 4,000 dead mark from Covid-19 in 24 hours on Wednesday, setting a terrible record in the twilight of 2020, while the world awaits the new year with hope: that vaccines, allow eradication of Covid-19.
The upcoming arrival of the product from the AstraZeneca laboratory, already approved in Great Britain, is part of this hope.
In France, the New Years Eve of December 31 is causing concern.
A very important police device has been announced.
The main information to remember:
- With nearly 4,000 dead in 24 hours, the United States breaks a sad record
- Astra Zeneca vaccine fuels hope for return to normal in 2021
- New Year's Eve will take place under heavy police surveillance in France
Nearly 4,000 dead in 24 hours in the United States
The most bereaved country in the world since the start of the pandemic, the United States on Wednesday counted 3,927 deaths over the last 24 hours according to figures from Johns Hopkins University, which refer to it.
This new record brings the number of deaths from the new coronavirus to 341,845 in the world's largest economy.
With 189,671 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, the United States is also fast approaching the mark of 20 million contaminations, after having passed 19 million on Sunday.
The United States has been facing a spectacular rebound in the epidemic since the fall, worsened by the great Thanksgiving family celebration at the end of November and which the end of the year celebrations should further amplify.
The famous American immunologist Anthony Fauci said Sunday that the worst of the pandemic was yet to come.
The vaccination campaign, during which nearly 2.8 million people had already received a first injection on Wednesday, will not make it possible to mitigate the current trend of increase in the number of cases.
AstraZeneca vaccine fuels hope
The United Kingdom, one of the countries most affected in Europe by the pandemic with more than 72,500 dead, is facing a surge in contaminations attributed to a variant of the virus, presenting according to a British study a contagiousness greater than 50% to 74% .
To get out of this crisis, the authorities are banking on the vaccination campaign launched in early December which received a boost with the authorization given on Wednesday by the British Medicines Agency (MHRA) to the vaccine developed by the British group AstraZeneca with the University of Oxford.
The vaccine will be used from January 4 in the United Kingdom, which has ordered 100 million doses.
A few hours later, Argentina followed suit, granting an emergency authorization for one year for this vaccine.
On the other hand, an authorization in January within the European Union of the AstraZeneca vaccine seems unlikely, estimated the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
And the Americans do not plan to approve it until April, according to Moncef Slaoui, one of the people in charge of the vaccination campaign in the country.
This vaccine was eagerly awaited there for practical reasons: much cheaper than those already distributed in the country, it can be stored at the temperature of a refrigerator, between two and eight degrees Celsius, which facilitates a large-scale vaccination.
A vaccine developed by the American giant Johnson & Johnson could, on the other hand, be approved in February in the United States.
It is also eagerly awaited, as it requires a single injection unlike those approved so far.
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New Year under close surveillance in France
The coronavirus epidemic continues to spread in France.
The latest report released Wednesday shows more than 26,000 new cases in the past 24 hours.
64,381 people have died from Covid-19 since the start of the epidemic in France.
Hospitalizations are down slightly with 24,593 patients, or 183 less than the day before.
Same dynamic on the resuscitation side, where 2,661 people are currently, 14 less than Tuesday evening.
And to prevent the epidemic from flaring up again across the country, the authorities are doing everything to make New Year's Eve as calm as possible.
Nearly 100,000 gendarmes and police will be deployed to ensure compliance with the curfew, maintained between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
And the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin warned that there would be no indulgence.
In addition, Paris metro traffic will be considerably reduced.
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Controversy over vaccination
More and more voices are rising to denounce the slowness of the vaccination campaign in France, where just over 300 people have been vaccinated, against nearly 60,000 in neighboring Germany.
The geneticist Axel Kahn thus regretted on Europe 1 an excess of caution and denounced a major strategic communication error.
In addition, nearly 300 mayors have announced in a forum their desire to be vaccinated when their turn comes.
One way of trying to overcome the many reluctance among the French population, almost world champion of skepticism.
Faced with criticism, the executive assumes its line of conduct.
"We did not go for a 100 meters but for a marathon", we explain to the Ministry of Health.
Find our analysis here
.
Record number of deaths in Germany
A relatively spared time, Germany is now struggling to contain the virus: it also recorded a record on Wednesday, suffering for the first time more than 1,000 daily deaths.
And the "historic" coronavirus crisis is set to continue into 2021, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Thursday in her New Year's greetings. "The challenges posed by the pandemic remain immense," she insisted.
The restrictions in force, including the closure of schools, non-essential businesses, bars and restaurants, should therefore be extended beyond January 10.
Health Minister Jens Spahn, however, congratulated himself on the success of the vaccination campaign, adding that 60,000 Germans had already been vaccinated.