Paris (AFP)

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

- The state of emergency probably extended to Japan -

The Japanese government was preparing on Tuesday to extend and extend to other departments the state of emergency already in force since July in part of the country in the face of the resurgence of the pandemic.

The infections "are spreading across Japan on a scale never seen before", according to the minister responsible for coordinating the management of the health crisis.

- First local case for six months in New Zealand -

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday declared a three-day confinement of the entire archipelago after the discovery of a locally-originated case of coronavirus contamination.

Ms Ardern said New Zealand, which had not recorded any contamination in the population for six months, could not take risks with the much more contagious Delta variant, which "is a game changer".

A caregiver notes information at a Covid-19 testing center on August 14, 2020 in Auckland DAVID ROWLAND AFP / Archives

The archipelago has been praised abroad for its effective management of the epidemic which, so far, has only killed 26 people for a population of five million.

- Australian Aborigines cause for concern -

Australian authorities on Tuesday expressed their "deep concern" after the appearance of a Covid-19 epidemic in indigenous communities which would be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Since the appearance in mid-June in Sydney of a case of Covid-19 due to the Delta variant, the epidemic has recently spread to the west of the state of New South Wales where most of the 116 people contaminated in this region belong to the aboriginal population.

- "March of the stones" in Argentina -

Stones laid on August 16, 2021 in Buenos Aires in front of the palace of the Argentine president, bearing the names of the dead from the RONALDO SCHEMIDT pandemic AFP

Relatives of Covid-19 victims demonstrated Monday in Buenos Aires against President Alberto Fernandez, surprised a year ago to party in full confinement, by laying hundreds of stones bearing the names of the dead of the pandemic in front of the palace of the head of state.

- More than 4.3 million dead -

The pandemic of the new coronavirus has killed at least 4,370,427 people around the world, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Tuesday at 10:00 GMT.

The United States is the most affected country in terms of both deaths and cases, with 622,321 deaths, ahead of Brazil (569,492 deaths) and India (432,079 deaths).

The world facing the coronavirus Simon MALFATTO AFP

Among the countries hardest hit, Peru is the one that deplores the highest number of deaths in relation to its population.

The World Health Organization (WHO) 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 the figures officials.

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