Paris (AFP)

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

- Pope calls for sharing vaccines -

Pope Francis said Sunday, in his traditional Easter message, the continuation of wars and the arms race in the context of the pandemic, and urged the international community to share the vaccines against the Covid-19 with the poorest countries.

- Health passport tested in England -

The British government plans to test a health passport system in England from mid-April to allow the resumption of activities severely affected by the pandemic, such as football matches and indoor events.

- First vaccine delivery to Libya -

Libya has received a first delivery of vaccines, with the arrival in Tripoli of 100,000 doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, at a time when the country is observing an increase in cases, with a health system weakened by conflicts.

- Restrictions -

Portugal extends border crossing restrictions for tourists until April 15, a measure that was put in place at the end of January to deal with the explosion of Covid-19 cases, the Interior Ministry said .

For its part, Germany will place the Netherlands in a high-risk zone due to the high number of contaminations, announced the Robert-Koch institute, which has already done the same for three other border countries including France.

From Tuesday 00:00 (02:00 GMT), any traveler from the Netherlands will have to present a screening test for the negative virus to be able to enter German territory, according to the health watch institute.

- India: confined Maharashtra -

The Indian state of Maharashtra, where Bombay, the financial capital is located, will impose a weekend containment and a night curfew on its 110 million inhabitants to cope with an upsurge of the pandemic, announced on Sunday. authorities.

- Bollywood star tested positive -

One of Bollywood's biggest stars, Akshay Kumar, 53, has announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Last year, he said he drank cow's urine daily to stay healthy, a practice that some Hindus believe has medical benefits, especially against the coronavirus.

- Lowered growth forecast in France -

The new restrictive measures taken to fight the pandemic have led the French government to lower by one percentage point, to 5%, its growth forecast for this year, announced the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.

The government has consequently raised its forecast for public deficit and debt in 2021.

- Clandestine dinners in Paris?

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Parisian dinners as luxurious as they are clandestine, despite the pandemic?

The Paris prosecutor on Sunday opened a criminal investigation after the broadcast of a report on such banned feasts, but an organizer finally retracted after claiming that ministers were participating.

- More than 2.8 million dead -

The pandemic has killed more than 2,847,182 worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Sunday in the middle of the day.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 554,994 dead, ahead of Brazil (331,433), Mexico (204,011), India (164,623) and the United Kingdom (126,826).

These figures are globally underestimated.

They are based on daily reports from national health authorities, without including reassessments based on statistical bases.

burs-paj-acm / cds / hba / plh / ybl

© 2021 AFP