Paris (AFP)
New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
- Vaccination delay in Africa, the EU will send back vaccines -
The European Union has agreed to return millions of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine made in South Africa, which will stop exporting outside the continent, an African Union special envoy said on Thursday.
South African company Aspen Pharmacare, which produces Johnson & Johnson's vaccine under a contract with the US pharmaceutical giant, will also stop sending doses to Europe.
According to the director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), John Nkengasong, the number of people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus on the continent is now around 2.93%.
42 of the 54 African countries, or eight out of ten countries in Africa are at risk of missing the global target of vaccinating 10% of the population most vulnerable to Covid-19 by the end of September, according to the regional office of WHO for Africa.
Members of the Zimbabwe National Army during a outreach vaccination program on August 3, 2021, in the township of Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Zinyange Auntony AFP / Archives
- "Mu" predominant in Colombia -
The new variant of the coronavirus, dubbed "Mu" and first identified in Colombia in January, is now predominant in the country and the source of the deadliest wave of the pandemic last spring, said Thursday. health authorities.
Contaminations and deaths reached a record high between April and June 2021, with up to 700 deaths per day, and a hospital system on the verge of collapse.
The B.1.621 variant, according to scientific nomenclature, was classified at the end of August as "variant to follow" by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Demonstration in Ghana -
Ghanaian traders demonstrated Thursday at Ghana's border with Côte d'Ivoire to demand the opening of land borders closed by President Nana Akufo-Addo to curb the spread of Covid-19, and denounced the economic collapse of their companies.
Ghana has had border crossing restrictions in place for over a year.
Only freight traffic is allowed at the borders.
- Norway postpones its full reopening -
Norway again postponed the total lifting of its health restrictions on Thursday, against the backdrop of a record number of new cases of Covid-19 in recent days, and extended the supply of vaccines to 12-15 year olds.
The world facing the coronavirus Simon MALFATTO AFP
"A continuation of the reopening (of the company, editor's note) today would give an increased risk of contamination", justified Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
- Abu Dhabi lifts the quarantine for vaccinated tourists -
Vaccinated tourists will no longer need to quarantine when they arrive in Abu Dhabi, the emirate said, which on Thursday recorded no coronavirus-related deaths for the first time in ten months.
- 4.5 million deaths worldwide -
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 4,529,715 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established Thursday at 10:00 GMT by AFP from official sources.
The United States has been the most affected country in the world since the start of the pandemic, with 643,558 dead, ahead of Brazil (581,150), India (439,529), Mexico (260,503) and Peru (198,329).
Covid-19: AFP global report
The 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 official figures.
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