Paris (AFP)

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

- WHO: AstraZeneca recommended "for the moment" -

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday recommended to continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine, the use of which has been suspended by several countries due to possible side effects.

"For the moment, the WHO believes that the risk / benefit balance tilts in favor of the AstraZeneca vaccine and recommends that the vaccinations continue," said the UN agency, which continues its assessments of the health problems encountered by some people vaccinated with this product.

- ... Johnson & Johnson also -

The WHO has also recommended the viral vector vaccine from the American laboratory Johnson & Johnson, even in countries where the more contagious variants of the coronavirus circulate.

- European health passport on the rails -

The European Commission unveiled on Wednesday its draft certificate aimed at facilitating travel within the EU this summer for people who have been vaccinated in particular, an initiative hailed by the aviation sector but promised to thorny discussions.

Requested by countries very dependent on tourism like Greece, this common passport arouses the reluctance of certain States.

- EU: threat to vaccine exports -

While it is in the grip of a shortage of vaccines, Europe threatened Wednesday, via the European Commission, to tighten the conditions of export outside the EU of anti-Covid vaccines in order to guarantee the "reciprocity" of exchanges with countries which produce them themselves, calling in particular on the United Kingdom to send doses to the continent.

- India facing a second wave -

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on regional leaders to increase testing and local restrictions in the face of an emerging second wave of Covid-19 to prevent a spike in cases nationwide.

- Record of daily cases in Iraq -

Iraq for its part recorded on Wednesday 5,663 new cases, an unprecedented record in the country which hosted Pope Francis almost two weeks ago in the midst of crowds, small but despite everything compact, and where the wearing of a mask was rare .

- Partial confinement in Poland -

The Polish Minister of Health announced containment measures from March 20 across the country, advocating teleworking and announcing the closure of hotels, theaters, cinemas, sports halls, as well as most stores in galleries commercial.

Daily contaminations exceeded 25,000 cases on Wednesday and could soon reach 30,000 cases per day, according to authorities.

- Brazil: social distancing finally advocated -

The new Brazilian Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga admitted on Wednesday that "social distancing" was necessary to limit the circulation of the coronavirus, contrary to President Jair Bolsonaro's anti-containment speech.

- Decisions expected in France -

One year to the day after the first confinement in France, President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to take "additional measures" applicable from this weekend, which will be announced Thursday after final arbitrations.

Prime Minister Jean Castex prepared the spirits on Tuesday, declaring that "the time has come to consider arrangements" for the Paris region.

Several French agglomerations are already confined at weekends.

- More than 2.67 million deaths

The pandemic has killed more than 2.67 million people worldwide since the start of the pandemic, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (536,922), followed by Brazil (282,127), Mexico (195,119), India (159,044) and the United Kingdom (125,690).

These figures, which are based on the daily reports of the health authorities without including the reassessments based on statistical bases, are generally underestimated.

burs-fm / cds / mba

© 2021 AFP