Paris (AFP)

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

- Russia: record of contaminations -

Russia announced Sunday that it had identified 25,142 new Covid-19 contaminations in the past 24 hours, a record since early January for the country hit hard by the Delta variant.

The population remains suspicious of national vaccines.

Only 23.6 of 146 million Russians, or 16% of the population, are vaccinated.

In addition, neighboring Kazakhstan announced Sunday a toll of 3,003 new cases in 24 hours, a record for this Central Asian country.

- Luxembourg: the Prime Minister hospitalized -

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, was placed on Sunday under observation in the hospital for 24 hours "as a precaution" in order to carry out additional analyzes, a week after having tested positive for Covid-19, according to a press release from government.

Xavier Bettel began a ten-day period in isolation on June 27.

He then presented mild symptoms (fever, headache).

He received his first injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine on May 6.

- "Essential" workers in the White House -

On July 4, which celebrates the American Declaration of Independence of 1776, Democratic President Joe Biden invited caregivers, soldiers and other so-called "essential" workers to Washington for a barbecue and fireworks.

- JO: Serbian athlete tested positive for covid-19 -

An athlete from the Serbian Olympic delegation tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Japan.

A member of the rowing team - made up of five people - he was checked upon arrival at Tokyo Haneda Airport on Saturday, according to an official in Nando city (center) where the team planned to train before the Olympics.

He was placed in segregation while the other four members of the team were transferred to another location near the airport.

- France: warning from the "Monsieur vaccine" -

Those who wait "are making a mistake", warned Alain Fischer, the "Mr. Vaccine" of the French government, while the anti-Covid vaccine campaign is running out of steam in the country.

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"By getting vaccinated today, we are protected for the start of the school year," he said.

For his part, government spokesman Gabriel Attal warned Sunday against the "vaccine divide" which could cause "resentment between the French" vaccinated and the others.

- France: doctors' forum for the compulsory vaccination of caregivers -

A hundred French doctors are asking the government to make vaccination compulsory for caregivers in hospitals and retirement homes "before the beginning of September", in a column published on Sunday.

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- Almost four million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 3,974,841 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Sunday at 10:00 GMT.

The United States is the most affected country in number of deaths (605,493), followed by Brazil (523,587), India (402,005), Mexico (233,580) and Peru (193,069).

These figures, which are based on daily reports from national health authorities, are generally underestimated.

The WHO estimates that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher.

burs-kd-ang / mw / ial /

© 2021 AFP