Paris (AFP)

The Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down again this week in the world: here are the significant weekly developments, taken from an AFP database.

An important indicator, however, the number of cases diagnosed only reflects a fraction of the actual number of infections and comparisons between countries should be taken with caution, as testing policies differ from one country to another.

- 510,000 daily cases -

- Decrease in most regions -

This week, most regions of the world are seeing their situation improve: -32% in Africa, -25% in the United States / Canada zone, -21% in the Middle East, -7% in Asia and -2 % in Oceania, where the virus does not circulate much.

However, the situation is deteriorating in Latin America and the Caribbean (+ 33%, a sharp increase in figure notably due to a catch-up in data in Brazil) and slightly in Europe (+ 4%).

Covid-19: developments in the world AFP

- Stronger acceleration -

Singapore is the country where the epidemic is accelerating the most (+ 129%, 1,300 new cases per day), among those having recorded at least 1,000 daily infections during the past week.

Romania (+ 75%, 5,400), Ukraine (+ 58%, 5,600), Syria (+ 23%, 1,900) and Turkey (+ 23%, 31,200) follow.

- Strongest declines -

Conversely, it was Botswana (-51%, 600 new cases per day) which recorded the sharpest decline this week, ahead of Japan (-50%, 3,900), Sri Lanka (-43%, 1,700 ), South Africa (-39%, 2,700) and Azerbaijan (-38%, 1,500).

- The most contaminations -

Covid tests on September 1, 2021 in Miami, Florida CHANDAN KHANNA AFP / Archives

The United States remains by far the country with the highest number of new infections in absolute terms this week (126,000 daily cases, -26%), ahead of the United Kingdom (32,400, + 10%) and Turkey (31,200, + 23%).

In proportion to the population, excluding micro-states, the country with the most new cases this week is Serbia (653 per 100,000 inhabitants), ahead of Mongolia (630) and Cuba (496).

- Dead -

The United States has the highest number of daily deaths, 2,041 per day this week, ahead of Russia (801), which on Friday announced a record figure of 828 people who died from Covid in 24 hours, and Mexico (542).

Globally, daily deaths have declined (8,384 per day, -9%).

- Cuba still vaccinates at full speed -

The countries that vaccinate the fastest this week are mainly in Latin America, Asia and Oceania.

With its own three-dose vaccines, Cuba has the fastest rate among countries with more than one million people, administering doses to 2.69% of its population every day.

The country's bars and restaurants, closed since January, are gradually reopening from this Friday in much of the country, including Havana.

Cambodia (1.46%) and Iran (1.36%) complete the top three.

The United Arab Emirates remains the country with the most advanced vaccination campaign, with 199 doses administered per 100 inhabitants, ahead of Uruguay (176) and Israel (171).

This indicator can exceed 100 doses per 100 inhabitants since most vaccines in circulation require two doses to be fully effective.

© 2021 AFP