Paris (AFP)

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

- Japan: prolonged state of emergency -

The Japanese government extended the state of emergency in four departments on Friday for three weeks until the end of May, including that of Tokyo supposed to host the Olympic Games this summer, and two additional departments will join this device.

The Japanese state of emergency provides for less severe health restrictions than the strict confinements established elsewhere in the world.

It consists above all in restricting the activity of certain physical businesses, in particular imposing the temporary closure of bars and restaurants serving alcohol, under penalty of a fine.

- Germany: the 3rd wave "seems broken" -

German Health Minister Jens Spahn ruled on Friday that the third wave of Covid-19 contamination seemed "broken" in the country, with a slight decline in the number of cases.

"The number of infections is falling again but still remains at a high level," he however qualified.

- United Kingdom: AstraZeneca for over 40s -

The scientific committee overseeing the anti-Covid vaccination campaign in the UK on Friday recommended limiting the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine to those over 40, after 242 cases of blood clots were reported.

This committee, which emphasizes that the benefits remain greater than the risks associated with Covid-19, had already advised in April not to administer this vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, to those over 30 years old when it was possible.

- Australia: borders closed until the end of 2022? -

Australia could maintain its borders closed until the end of 2022, announced the Minister of Tourism, the new wave of contaminations across the world destroying any hope of a reopening in the short term.

Australia will not, however, extend its controversial decision to ban its nationals from returning from India, a country in the grip of a very serious epidemic, announced the Prime Minister.

- European Social Summit -

EU leaders are meeting from 1 p.m. local (12 p.m. GMT) on Friday in Porto, Portugal, to try to build a more social Europe after the economic damage of the pandemic, but there is a long way to go before concrete achievements so much the Twenty-Seven are divided.

- Delayed vaccination in Africa -

The World Health Organization (WHO) regional office for Africa on Thursday warned of the risk of a new wave of coronavirus on the continent due to increasing delays in vaccination compared to the rest of the world .

The African continent only represents 1% of vaccine doses administered worldwide, against 2% a few weeks ago, says the WHO regional office.

- More than 3.2 million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 3,258,595 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Friday at 10 a.m. GMT.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (580,064), ahead of Brazil (416,949), India (234,083), Mexico (218,173) and the United Kingdom (127,583).

These figures are globally underestimated.

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

burs-ang / cds / mba

© 2021 AFP