- Australia reopens its borders -

Jolting passengers were in Australia on Monday, the first day borders reopened to vaccinated tourists, nearly two years after the country adopted some of the world's toughest travel health restrictions to combat Covid -19.

The mainland country had closed its borders in March 2020 to all visitors except citizens and permanent residents, trying to take advantage of its insularity to protect itself from the pandemic.

Hong Kong launches vaccination pass

Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass this week, authorities announced on Monday as hospitals are overwhelmed by a wave of cases linked to the Omicron variant.

From Thursday, all residents aged 12 and over will have to prove that they have received at least one dose or that they have a medical exemption to eat in restaurants.

The city of 7.5 million inhabitants, one of the most densely populated in the world, is facing the worst wave of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Like neighboring mainland China, Hong Kong applies a zero Covid strategy and the territory has not recorded any local cases for months despite a low vaccination rate.

A usually busy but almost deserted street in Hong Kong on February 21, 2022 as the territory faces the worst wave of Covid-19 to hit it since the start of the pandemic Peter PARKS AFP

London unveils its new Covid strategy on Monday

The British Prime Minister unveils his strategy for "living with Covid" on Monday, despite criticism and warnings surrounding the expected end of the latest restrictions such as compulsory isolation for the sick.

Among the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, the United Kingdom deplores more than 160,000 deaths from the virus in the past two years, while 85% of the population over the age of 12 have now received two doses of vaccines and 66% one. reminder.

Dispute in New Zealand

New Zealand police have accused anti-vaccine protesters set up around the Houses of Parliament in Wellington of throwing human excrement on Monday at law enforcement who were carrying out a pre-dawn operation to set up roadblocks around the encampment.

Two weeks after the start of their action, inspired by the Canadian "freedom convoys", the demonstrators continued to arrive this weekend despite calls from the police urging them to leave.

Some 800 vehicles blocked downtown streets on Monday.

Recession expected in Germany, the best in the United Kingdom

German Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to "fall significantly" again in the first quarter of 2022, weighed down by the Covid-19 epidemic, and thus bring Europe's largest economy into technical recession before a strong rebound expected in the spring, according to the Bundesbank.

In the UK, activity picked up again in February after the Omicron wave, reaching an eight-month high thanks to a recovery in international travel and entertainment spending, according to IHS Markit's PMI Flash Composite index.

The rise in the cost of living and the increase in the cost of energy must however be monitored in the coming months, underlines the firm.

More than 5.88 million dead

Covid-19: global assessment AFP

The pandemic has officially killed at least 5,884,689 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report compiled by AFP from official sources on Monday at 11 a.m. GMT.

In absolute value, the United States is the country with the most deaths (935,335), ahead of Brazil (644,286) and India (512,109).

Among the hardest hit countries, Peru is the one with the highest death toll in relation to its population.

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.

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© 2022 AFP