While the pandemic has claimed more than 3 million victims, including 105,000 in France, the vaccine race continues and shows encouraging initial results.
After Israel, whose positivity rate now stands at 0.2%, the United States wants to follow this trajectory, hoping to vaccinate 70% of adults by July 4.
For its part, Europe is delighted with the acceleration of its vaccination campaign, making it possible to reach a quarter of Europeans first-vaccinated.
Read also: Vaccine against Covid-19: where is France compared to its neighbors?
French MPs look at the health pass
The deputies of the Laws Committee gave Tuesday evening, May 4, the first green light for the establishment of a "
health pass
" for access to gatherings of more than 1000 people, despite strong reluctance among some elected officials.
Announced by Emmanuel Macron, on April 29, in an interview with the regional press, it received the approval of the Scientific Council and would complete the
"health pass"
required at European level for travel abroad.
Read also: Covid-19: Is the European Union preparing a vaccination passport or a health certificate?
United States wants to vaccinate adolescents
After a drum-beating vaccination campaign allowing 45% of the population to receive a first dose, Joe Biden launched Tuesday, May 4 a "
new phase
" of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 in the United States, which must integrate teens and target more reluctant Americans, with a new goal of at least one injection for 70% of adults by the July 4th National Day.
The US president also announced a target of 160 million Americans fully immunized by the same date.
A request to extend the emergency authorization of Pfizer / BioNTech's vaccine for 12-15 year olds was filed in early April in the United States, and the decision of the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) is expected within days to come.
Read also: United States: towards an authorization of the vaccination of adolescents
A quarter of Europeans first vaccinated
More than a quarter of the EU's population has received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine, the European Commission praised, and more than 9% of its inhabitants are now fully vaccinated according to an AFP tally.
"
Vaccination is accelerating in Europe: we have just passed 150 million vaccinations [...] We will have enough doses to vaccinate 70% of adults in the EU by July,
" tweeted Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European executive.
In France, the vaccine campaign has taken a new boost since it opened last Saturday to people over 18 with co-morbidities.
16 million French people have received at least a first dose, or 24% of the population.
According to the schedule presented by the government, 20 million doses should have been injected by May 15, 30 million by June 15.
A tenable objective, according to the executive which, however, fights against the distrust of AstraZeneca shunned by the French.
To read also: Vaccination: these thousands of niches which do not find a taker in France
Europe looks into Chinese vaccine
The European Medicines Agency announced on Tuesday the launch of a “
continuous review
” procedure for the vaccine from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, which opens the way to a possible application for an upcoming authorization in the European Union.
Sinovac's vaccine, which uses the classic inactivated virus technique, was authorized in February in China and then in Chile, Brazil, the Philippines, Ukraine and Turkey.
Read also: China: "Empire of opacity"
Towards a return to normal for vaccinated Germans
Proud of its vaccination campaign which has enabled 28% of the population to receive a first dose, Germany sees the end of the tunnel.
All fully vaccinated people, currently 8% of its population, will be able to free themselves from certain restrictions such as nighttime curfews or restrictions on private meetings.
The government of Angela Merkel adopted the same day an order relaxing for people who have received two doses the many bans in force for several months.
Read also: Germany: towards an easing of health restrictions for vaccinated and immunized people
20 million cases in India
The situation in India continues to worsen.
More than 20 million infections identified since the start of the pandemic and a completely asphyxiated health system.
More than 350,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday, May 4, a slight drop from the peak of April 30, with 402,000 contaminations.
Many experts believe that the real toll is much higher.
Read also: India: vaccination slows as the Covid-19 epidemic accelerates
Brazil: Bolsonaro incriminated by the former Minister of Health
A former Brazilian Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, assured Tuesday, May 4 before a parliamentary commission of inquiry that he had “
expressly
”
warned
President Jair Bolsonaro of the “extremely
serious consequences
” of his denial in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, which killed nearly 410,000 people in the country.
Luiz Henrique Mandetta was sacked at the end of March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, because he defended physical distancing in an attempt to stem contamination, an idea totally rejected by the head of state.
Read also: Brazil: a former Minister of Health blames Jair Bolsonaro on his management of the health crisis
FC Barcelona: possible breach of the Covid-19 protocol
While PSG lost their place in the Champions League on Tuesday, May 4, LaLiga, the body that manages professional football in Spain, has opened an investigation for a possible breach of the Covid-19 protocols of the Spanish league, after the meal organized by FC Barcelona players at Lionel Messi's home.
Barça players, some of whom were accompanied by their companions, met on Monday at the home of their captain Messi, while meetings of more than six people are prohibited in private homes in Barcelona.