Paris (AFP)

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

- France: 3,300 classes closed because of the Covid -

Nearly 3,300 classes (3,299) were closed Thursday in France because of the Covid-19 epidemic, a stable figure compared to the previous one and which represents 0.63% of the country's classes, announced Friday the Ministry of National Education.

A case of Covid in a primary school class leads to a closure, as in June.

In the event of contamination in middle or high school, only unvaccinated contact cases students must isolate themselves for one week.

- London: falls in the metro because of the Covid -

For fear of catching the Covid-19, many Londoners are reluctant to hold the handrails of metro station escalators.

Result: an increase in potentially fatal falls, worry London transport, quoted Friday in the British press.

Twelve people died or were seriously injured on the metro from April to June, and 23 on buses.

This is more than in the other quarters of the year 2020-2021, according to the daily The Telegraph.

- USA: expert meeting on the 3rd dose of vaccine -

Experts from the medical world are meeting on Friday as part of the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) to comment on the effectiveness and safety of a third dose of the vaccine.

President Biden's administration had taken many experts by surprise by announcing in August that an anti-Covid vaccine recall campaign would be launched from September 20, for all Americans who received their second dose eight months previously.

A teacher checks the temperature of students outside a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, September 16, 2021. Abdul MAJEED AFP

- Colombia: 3rd dose for over 70s -

Colombia will offer a third booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to people over the age of 70, the health ministry announced on Thursday.

People who want to receive the additional injection should do so at least six months after the second dose.

- Cambodia: vaccination of children over 6 years old -

Cambodia began immunizing children as young as six against the coronavirus on Friday, although the WHO has yet to approve any vaccines for children under 12.

The grandson of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen receives an anti-Covid vaccine on September 17, 2021 in Phnom Penh.

TANG CHHIN Sothy POOL / AFP

The Southeast Asian country has been praised for its vaccination campaign, with 98% of adults having received at least one dose to date, according to Cambodia's health ministry.

- Progressive deconfinement in French Polynesia -

The High Commissioner Dominique Sorain and the President of French Polynesia Edouard Fritch announced, Thursday in Papeete, the maintenance of the curfew but the gradual lifting of the confinement and the resumption of classes on Monday.

Containment will be maintained on weekends in the most populous islands of French Polynesia, but it will be lifted during the week.

Restaurants will be able to reopen and sport will be allowed, outside of competitions.

However, museums, exhibition halls and cinemas remain closed.

- More than 4.66 million dead -

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 4.66 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established on Friday at 10 a.m. GMT by AFP from official sources.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (670,009), ahead of Brazil (589,240), India (444,248), Mexico (270,348) and Peru (198,891), according to official figures.

Covid-19: AFP global report

The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the results of the pandemic could be two to three times higher.

burx-ot / cds / thm

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