Paris (AFP)

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

- Vaccination of children: the UN sounds the alarm -

The UN sounded the alarm Thursday on a risk of "absolute catastrophe" if the dangerous delay in the vaccination of children because of the Covid-19 pandemic is not caught up and if the health restrictions are lifted too quickly .

In 2020, 23 million children fell through the cracks and did not receive all three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine or DTP3, which serves as a baseline measure, according to published figures. Thursday by WHO and Unicef.

Unprotected children and too rapid lifting of health restrictions against Covid - which also partially protected against certain childhood diseases - are already having their effects, with for example measles outbreaks in Pakistan, according to the WHO.

- Argentina crosses 100,000 dead mark -

Argentina has passed the 100,000 dead mark from Covid-19.

The number of deaths in the country of 45 million inhabitants is 100,250 for more than 4.7 million reported cases, according to the latest bulletin from the health authorities.

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- Indonesia, new epicenter in Asia for the virus -

Indonesia, which on Wednesday announced a record 54,000 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, has become the new epicenter of the virus's circulation in Asia, overtaking India.

- Record of contaminations in Senegal -

Senegal recorded a record number of Covid-19 contaminations on Wednesday, a progression described as "dazzling" by President Macky Sall who, however, did not announce new health restrictions a few days before the major Eid celebrations.

- Spain at the time of the return of restrictions -

Closure of nightclubs in confined spaces, restrictions on opening hours or the number of customers and even reinstatement of the curfew: faced with a sudden explosion in the number of Covid-19 cases, the various regions of Spain are closing in gradually.

Catalonia, the epicenter of this fifth wave of the pandemic, has asked regional justice for the green light to impose a night curfew in the cities most affected, including the capital, Barcelona.

- Events in France and Greece -

More than 19,000 people, according to the authorities, demonstrated in France in the name of "freedom" to protest against the announcements of President Emmanuel Macron on the health pass, vaccination and "dictatorship".

In Greece, around 4,000 people, according to police, protested in central Athens against government measures announced to curb the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

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- Two essential doses of vaccine against the Delta variant -

The administration of two doses of the vaccine is essential to protect against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, said the European regulator, calling on the member states of the European Union to accelerate their vaccination program.

- Epidemic on the Queen Elizabeth after a stopover in Cyprus -

More than a hundred crew members of the British Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth were infected with Covid-19 during a stopover in Cyprus in early July, according to a British official and media.

- The Washington Obelisk reopens to the public -

The Washington Monument, the emblematic obelisk of the American capital, has reopened its doors to the public after six months of closure, taking advantage of the improvement in the health situation in the United States and in order to revive tourism.

- More than four million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 4.053 million people around the world since the onset of the disease at the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Wednesday in the middle of the day.

The United States is the most affected country with 608,104 deaths, followed by Brazil (537,394), India (411,408), Mexico (235,277) and Peru (194,606).

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

WHO estimates deaths could be two to three times higher.

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© 2021 AFP