New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
To read also: The editorial of
Figaro
: "The virus and the president"
3,200 deaths in 24 hours in the United States, 1,000 daily deaths in Brazil
The United States again recorded a very heavy toll on Thursday with more than 3,200 dead and almost 250,000 new cases of coronavirus in one day, according to figures from Johns-Hopkins University, which are the benchmark.
The country is currently facing a dramatic rebound in the epidemic, which has never really caught on in the United States since March.
Over the past 15 days, the mark of 200,000 daily cases has been exceeded 12 times.
Brazil is back above 1,000 daily coronavirus deaths for the first time since September 30, according to the latest report released Thursday by the Ministry of Health, which reports 1,092 new deaths.
Read also: Covid-19: more than 3,000 dead in one day in the United States
More than 1.65 million deaths worldwide
The pandemic has killed at least 1,652,977 people around the world, according to a report established Thursday by AFP from official sources.
Europe is the first region in the world to record more than half a million deaths.
The United States is the most affected country in terms of both deaths and cases, with 310,325 deaths for nearly 17.18 million cases.
Brazil follows with 184,827 dead, India (144,451), Mexico (115,769) and Italy (66,537).
Emmanuel Macron, positive, confines himself
Emmanuel Macron tested positive Thursday for Covid-19, pushing a host of European and French leaders to isolate themselves, and the head of state, who has a fever and "
significant fatigue
", nevertheless participated in two videoconferences.
Read also: How, a year after its appearance, the Covid-19 caught up with Emmanuel Macron
"
He has real symptoms, cough and significant fatigue
", reported on the channel BFM Gabriel Attal, the spokesman of the government, specifying that the president was "
followed by a doctor of the service of health of the armies
".
The disease of the French president comes at a time when the epidemic, which is starting again in several European countries, is difficult to contain in France where more than 18,000 new cases were listed on Thursday, a "
worrying
" development, according to health authorities.
To read also: Macron positive: "There is a hiatus between what the State imposes on the French and the practices of its leaders"
New measures in the UK
For the third time since the start of the pandemic, London pubs, restaurants and hotels are forced to close.
The eastern and south-eastern parts of England will be subject to further restrictions on Saturday.
Read also: Covid-19: the United Kingdom, the first Western country to massively vaccinate
The Northern Irish government decided Thursday evening to establish after Christmas, and for six weeks, a new containment in the face of the strong progression of the epidemic of new coronavirus in the British province.
Confinements in the West Bank and Poland
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Thursday announced a general two-week lockdown across the West Bank, as coronavirus contaminations explode in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.
Poland establishes a three-week partial containment from December 28.
Travel on New Year's Eve will be banned and shopping malls, hotels and ski resorts closed.
Difficulties in Sweden
Despite a recent tightening of the authorities, Sweden and its atypical strategy against the coronavirus are again put in difficulty by a formidable second wave that the Nordic country has long believed it could avoid.
Read also: Covid-19: Sweden locally strengthens its recommendations
EU: vaccination from December 27
The anti-Covid vaccination will begin in the European Union from December 27, announced the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will look at the fate of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21 - a week earlier than expected.
It also brought forward by one week, to January 6, the examination and possible authorization of the Moderna vaccine.
Read also: Covid-19: all EU member countries will start vaccination "on the same day"
The European Commission has announced that it has concluded exploratory talks with the American biotechnology company Novavax for the purchase of 100 million doses of its potential vaccine against the coronavirus.
Once finalized, this contract will be the seventh concluded by the EU with a pharmaceutical laboratory for an anti-Covid vaccine.
American green light for Moderna
An expert advisory committee voted on Thursday to recommend emergency authorization in the United States of the Covid-19 vaccine from the company Moderna, paving the way for the delivery of doses as early as this weekend.
Read also: United States: an advisory committee recommends the authorization of Moderna's vaccine against Covid-19
After this non-binding opinion, it will be up to the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) to give the green light, which should intervene very quickly and would make Moderna the second vaccine to be authorized in a Western country.
