Paris (AFP)

France is to announce new measures on Monday, including a possible vaccination obligation for caregivers, to cope with the very contagious Delta variant, whose meteoric progression is forcing many countries to restore health restrictions.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed at least 4.035 million lives, has contributed to a surge in the number of hungry people around the world in 2020 and will have long-term effects on global food security, warned Monday FAO, the UN agency for agriculture and food.

This worsening of hunger (+ 18% over one year), the most significant for at least 15 years, compromises more than ever the United Nations objective of eradicating hunger in the world by 2030, specifies the FAO.

While vaccination remains very uneven around the world, the international Covax partnership, which aims to guarantee access to vaccines for the poorest countries, will immediately receive 110 million doses from Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm to cope with a shortage .

The agreement between the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), one of the founding members of the Covax system, and the two Chinese pharmaceutical groups also includes options for the purchase of additional doses in the coming months.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is causing epidemic outbreaks in parts of the world and many countries, where it is already dominant or in the process of becoming so, have already decided to restore health restrictions.

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President Emmanuel Macron will address the French on Monday evening to repeat the message in favor of vaccination and detail the measures that will have been taken earlier during a defense council.

The subject of many consultations, compulsory vaccination of caregivers should be on the agenda.

Emmanuel Macron could also announce certain measures tightening access to events or places potentially conducive to contagion, via a possible extension of the health pass which makes it possible to check the health status of a person.

- Asia-Pacific is mobilizing -

Several countries or territories have already introduced compulsory vaccination for certain categories of the population, such as Italy for doctors and health personnel.

The UK has announced it for people working in English retirement homes, a measure yet to be approved by Parliament.

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The British Prime Minister is also preparing to confirm on Monday the lifting on July 19 of most of the latest restrictions in England, including the wearing of masks.

Boris Johnson wants to "restore freedoms", while calling for caution in the face of the increase in cases attributed to the Delta variant, which exceed 30,000 every day.

The situation is also worrying in Australia, where the epidemic continues to spread in Sydney, despite a containment which is in its third week.

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A total of 112 new cases have been identified over the past 24 hours in the city, a record since the start of this epidemic wave.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced an extraordinary meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Friday to improve the response to the pandemic in this region.

- Tightened restrictions in Thailand -

In Thailand, more than 10 million people have been subject to increased health restrictions since Monday and will have to comply with a night curfew in Bangkok.

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"The situation is worrying," said Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, facing an unprecedented epidemic peak.

In South Korea, the most draconian restrictions Seoul has seen since the start of the pandemic went into effect Monday in the capital for two weeks.

It is forbidden to gather more than two after 6:00 p.m. and schools are closed, as are bars and nightclubs.

In Algeria, the resumption of contaminations is "alarming" and hospitals are "saturated", according to Mohamed Yousfi, head of an infectious disease department in Boufarik, near Algiers, who denounces the state's immobility.

The most populous country in the Maghreb with 44 million inhabitants, Algeria is approaching the record of daily cases (1,133) recorded in November 2020.

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In South Africa, most of the restrictions taken at the end of June will be extended until the end of July, but restaurants and gyms will be able to reopen if they meet certain constraints, announced President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The worst-affected African country has recorded an average of 20,000 cases per day in the past two weeks.

burx-slb / sg

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