Paris (AFP)

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

- China says no to the WHO -

Neither new investigation in China, nor additional data, nor "politicization": Beijing sent Friday an inadmissibility to the World Health Organization (WHO), which called for better collaboration on the origin of the Covid.

"We are opposed to the politicization of origins research (...) and the abandonment of the joint report. We support science-based research," said Ma Zhaoxu, a deputy foreign minister.

The joint WHO-China report, drawn up following the visit of international experts to Wuhan in January 2021, had judged "extremely unlikely" that the virus came from a laboratory.

- New daily death record in Russia -

Russia reported 815 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours on Friday, a record for the second day in a row which is due to the Delta variant and a sluggish vaccination campaign.

- United States: 3rd dose for immunocompromised -

The United States has authorized the injection of a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine against Covid-19 for people with weakened immune systems.

- ... and for those over 50 in Israel -

Israel on Friday began injecting a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine into people aged 50 and over, after deciding overnight to lower the minimum age in hopes of tackling a new wave of contamination linked to the Delta variant. .

The Hebrew state launched a campaign two weeks ago to allow people aged 60 and over to be injected with this third dose.

- No more compulsory mask in Denmark -

The Danish government has announced the lifting of the obligation to wear a mask on public transport, the only place where it was still required, as a result of the relaxation of social distancing rules.

The obligation, introduced on August 22, 2020, disappears from Saturday August 14.

Wearing a mask remains however de rigueur in planes and airports in the country, where international air transport rules are applied.

- San Francisco: vaccine required for certain public places -

San Francisco will become the first city in the United States to require the presentation of proof of the vaccine against Covid-19 for access to certain public places, without the possibility of presenting a negative test, announced the mayor of this large city Californian.

- More than 4.3 million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 4,333,013 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, out of more than 205.3 million infections, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Friday at 10:00 GMT.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (619,093), ahead of Brazil (566,896), India (430,254), Mexico (246,811) and Peru (197,209).

The World Health Organization estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that calculated from official figures.

burs-paj / mw / bq / sg

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