Paris (AFP)

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

- WHO paves the way for a 3rd treatment -

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recommended on Friday a third treatment against Covid-19, Regeneron's synthetic antibodies, but only in certain specific cases.

Designed by biotechnology company Regenero and marketed by the Roche laboratory under the name Ronapreve, this high-cost treatment combines two laboratory-made antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab.

When injected intravenously, they are supposed to support the immune system to neutralize the coronavirus.

Former United States President Donald Trump received this treatment when he caught the Covid in September / October 2020.

- Russia: new daily death record -

Russia, the most bereaved country in Europe, on Friday recorded a new record of daily deaths due to Covid-19, vaccination remaining sluggish and containment measures absent.

According to the assessment provided by the Russian government's crisis center, 828 people have died from the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

The previous record of 820 deaths had been reached twice, on September 23 and August 26, 2021.

- Cuba: reopening of bars restaurants -

Bars and restaurants, closed since January, gradually reopen from Friday in eight of Cuba's 15 provinces, including Havana.

Faced with a sharp increase in infections for two months, with a total of 832,286 cases including 7,048 deaths, Cuba has accelerated its vaccination campaign in recent weeks and now has 42.2% of its population immunized with local vaccines, not recognized by the 'WHO.

- Less than 2,400 classes closed in France -

Nearly 2,370 classes were closed on Thursday because of the Covid-19 epidemic, a figure down from last week (3,299) and which represents 0.45% of classes in the country, announced the Ministry of National Education.

- Austria: the former Minister of the Interior ensures not to be vaccinated -

The head of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ, far right) Herbert Kickl on Friday held up on television a medical certificate proving that he did not have antibodies to Covid-19, in order to "cut short the rumors" according to which he would have been "vaccinated in secret".

"Now, we have at the top the vaccinated who dominate the unvaccinated, deprived of freedoms," he told the press, while Austria gradually tightens the health pass, banning from October to unvaccinated people from accessing stadiums and large performance venues in Vienna, even if they test negative.

- Cambodia: the "Festival of the Dead" canceled -

Cambodian authorities have canceled the "Festival of the Dead", an annual celebration in which Buddhist worshipers pay homage to their deceased loved ones.

The party, which began on Tuesday, will end prematurely this weekend after nearly 50 Buddhist monks tested positive for the coronavirus and authorities closed their temples in Phnom Penh.

- More than 4.7 million dead -

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has killed at least 4,725,638 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Friday at 10 a.m. GMT.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (684,357), ahead of Brazil (592,964), India (446,368), Mexico (274,139) and Russia (202,273).

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.

burs-fm / ber / ia

© 2021 AFP