Lockdowns are growing in Canada

With the blocking of a third border axis with the United States, the protest in Canada against health measures spread on Thursday, notably disrupting the automotive industry.

At the same time, hundreds of trucks are still blocking the streets of Ottawa, installed in front of Parliament and the offices of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"Freedom convoys" banned in Paris, Brussels and Vienna

The prefect of police banned in Paris the "freedom convoys", inspired by the movement of Canadian truckers, who planned to "block the capital" from Friday.

The Belgian authorities also announced on Thursday that they would ban access to Brussels for the "Freedom Convoy", expected for Monday.

A similar announcement was made by the Austrian police, concerning Vienna.

No longer compulsory, the mask resists in Madrid

"I wear it and I will continue to wear it, even if the law says it can be removed," retired Alberto Díaz told AFP in the center of the Spanish capital.

Efficacy of the Novavax vaccine

Novavax has announced an 80% efficacy for its Covid-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 17, and plans to submit this data to health authorities around the world "in the first quarter of 2022".

This two-dose vaccine has been tested in clinical trials in the United States on more than 2,200 adolescents, at a time when the Delta variant was dominant.

Partygate in London: the investigation accelerates

London police are stepping up their investigation into Downing Street gatherings during lockdown and will question more than 50 people who will have to respond within seven days.

Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major launched a virulent charge Thursday against Boris Johnson, whom he accuses of having acted illegally.

"The Prime Minister and officials broke the law. Shameless excuses were made up. Day after day the public was asked to believe the implausible," said John Major.

Prince Charles has Covid for the 2nd time

Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, has caught Covid-19 and placed himself in isolation, his services announced on Thursday.

This is the second time that the prince, 73, has caught the Covid.

He had already been infected in March 2020 but quickly recovered.

Prince Charles at the British Museum in London, February 9, 2022 Tristan Fewings POOL / AFP

More than 5.77 million dead

The pandemic has officially killed more than 5.77 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, out of more than 402 million confirmed contaminations, according to a report established by AFP on Thursday at 11:00 GMT.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (915,316), ahead of Brazil (636,017) and India (506,520).

The World Health Organization (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 officially established.

burx-jah-ot/elm/roc

© 2022 AFP