Paris (AFP)
New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
- Investigation in Japan on contaminated Moderna lots -
Japan is investigating the deaths of two men, 30 and 38, who received Moderna coronavirus vaccines from batches whose use has been suspended due to contamination, the health ministry said on Saturday.
- India vaccinates ten million people in one day -
India, the second most populous country in the world with 1.3 billion inhabitants, vaccinated ten million people against Covid-19 in a single day, a record figure, the authorities of this Asian giant announced on Saturday. tries to cope with a new wave of the epidemic announced.
The Indian government, under fire from criticism after a brutal outbreak of the epidemic that killed more than 200,000 people in April and May, hopes to vaccinate 1.1 billion people by the end of 2021, a goal thwarted by shortages and boondoggles administrative.
A young man gets vaccinated against Covid-19 on August 28, 2021 in Chennai, India Arun SANKAR AFP
Since the vaccination began in January, only 15% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine.
- Delta variant causes more hospitalizations -
People infected with the Delta variant are twice as likely to be hospitalized for Covid-19 than those infected with the Alpha variant, concludes a British study published on Saturday.
It was already known that the Delta variant, first identified in India, is around 40% to 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which had emerged in the UK in late 2020. But according to the study, the risk of being admitted to hospital is multiplied by 2.26 with the Delta variant compared to the Alpha variant and the patients concerned are younger.
Caregivers take care of a patient with Covid-19 in the intensive care unit of Les Abymes hospital, August 6, 2021 in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe Cedrick Isham CALVADOS AFP / Archives
Its authors consider it vital that the population receive the two doses of vaccination as quickly as possible.
- Polynesia: more and more hospitalized patients -
The number of patients hospitalized for Covid-19 continued to increase in French Polynesia, reaching 412 people, including 55 in intensive care, the local health ministry said in Papeete (Saturday in Paris) on Friday.
As of Friday, the epidemic had caused 385 deaths, including 15 in the previous 24 hours.
The violent epidemic peak can be explained by the introduction of the Delta variant in a population that was not very vaccinated and which suffers from numerous comorbidities, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
- More than 200 anti-health pass events in France -
More than 200 demonstrations were planned for Saturday in France to oppose the health pass and the government's policy in the face of Covid-19.
After two weeks of withdrawal, the authorities were counting on a decline in the movement for this seventh consecutive weekend of demonstrations, after 175,000 demonstrators identified by the Ministry of the Interior last Saturday and 361,818 demonstrators "minimum", according to the militant collective Le Nombre Yellow.
Demonstration against the health pass and the vaccination obligation for certain professions, at the call of the nationalist party Les Patriotes, August 28, 2021 in Paris Sameer Al-DOUMY AFP
Large gatherings were expected in the south, especially in Montpellier and Toulon.
In Paris, the authorities expected 12,000 to 20,000 demonstrators.
- More than 4.48 million dead -
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 4,486,000 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Saturday from official sources.
The United States is the most bereaved country with 636,720 dead, ahead of Brazil (578,326), India (437,370), Mexico (257,150) and Peru (198,115).
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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