No forced vaccination, insists the UN

The vaccination obligation must always respect human rights and forced vaccination is never acceptable, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned on Wednesday.

"Under no circumstances should people be forcibly vaccinated, even though a person's refusal to comply with a vaccination obligation may have legal consequences such as for example an appropriate fine," said Michelle Bachelet in a video message. .

"No reason to doubt" current vaccines against Omicron (WHO)

"There is no reason to doubt" that the current vaccines protect patients infected with Omicron against severe forms of Covid-19, the WHO emergency manager said on Tuesday in an interview with the AFP.

"We have very effective vaccines that have been shown to be potent against all of the variants so far, in terms of disease severity and hospitalization, and there is no reason to believe that would not be the case." with Omicron, explained Dr. Michel Ryan.

Brazil: no health passport for foreigners

Brazil ruled out on Tuesday from requiring a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 for foreigners arriving on its soil, after President Jair Bolsonaro compared the measure recommended by the health regulator to a "leash" for animals.

Controversy in Britain over Christmas 2020 in Downing Street

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under fire on Wednesday after a video appeared where his top advisers joked about hosting a Christmas party in Downing Street in 2020 when gatherings were banned due to Covid -19.

A nurse prepares to vaccinate a 3-year-old girl against Covid-19 with the Cuban vaccine Soberana Plus as part of a clinical trial, August 24, 2021 in Havana ADALBERTO ROQUE AFP / Archives

"This imaginary party was a business meeting without social distances", loose a counselor in this video between other mocking exchanges evoking "cheese and wine".

Downing Street responded by insisting that there was "no Christmas party. The rules against Covid have always been respected."

Boris Johnson has apologized "wholeheartedly" to Parliament.

Norway toughens measures

Norway will strengthen from midnight Thursday and for four weeks health measures to fight an outbreak of Covid-19 cases, with in particular a limited number of people for home events, including Christmas celebrations, and the wearing a mask is compulsory if a social distance of one meter cannot be guaranteed.

France: State aid to sectors with slowed down activity

French President Emmanuel Macron assured Wednesday that "the partial activity mechanisms" would be "extended" for companies whose operation is slowed down by new measures against Covid 19.

A sign on the Ajaccio Christmas market on December 7, 2021 Pascal POCHARD-CASABIANCA AFP

Mr. Macron promised an announcement "in the next few days", citing "the events business, the catering trade in living rooms, caterers" or "nightclubs".

It will be forbidden to dance in bars and restaurants in France from Friday until January 6 inclusive, a period during which nightclubs will have to close their doors, according to a decree published on Wednesday.

More than 5.2 million dead

The pandemic has killed at least 5,270,700 people worldwide since the end of 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday at 11:00 GMT.

Covid-19: AFP global report

The United States is the most bereaved country with 791,514 dead, ahead of Brazil (616,018), India (473,952), Mexico (295,601) and Russia (284,823).

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

burx-jba / mw / bds

© 2021 AFP