Covid-19: the Netherlands toughen its measures, Spain abandons its budgetary rules

New reports, new measures and highlights: update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.

Concern in France

In Marseille, the administrative court confirmed on Wednesday the order obliging the owners of bars and restaurants to close for 15 days.

Read also: Why the number of intensive care beds in France has not increased since March

The hotel and restaurant sectors and sports halls fear the coup de grace with these new restrictions, despite government aid, which announced the maintenance until the end of the year of the partial unemployment scheme at 100 % for all protected sectors.

Indicators of the epidemic continue to deteriorate, especially in Paris, raising fears of an additional turn of the screw.

Read also: Covid-19: the threat of new restrictions extends to large metropolises

Nearly 1,012,100 dead

Globally, the pandemic has killed at least 1,012,093 people, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Wednesday.

More than 33,719,740 cases of infection have been officially diagnosed.

The United States is the most affected country, both in terms of deaths and cases, with 206,005 deaths for 7,191,349 cases identified.

Brazil follows with 142,921 dead, India (97,497), Mexico (77,163) and the United Kingdom (42,072).

More than 10,000 deaths in Belgium

Belgium has crossed the 10,000 dead mark.

This country of about 11.5 million inhabitants with a high population density recorded 10,001 deaths (+14 in 24 hours) and 117,115 positive cases recorded in total.

Read also: Covid-19: Belgium relaxes the rules and bets on the support of the population

The health authorities officially launched a mobile application called "Coronalert" on Wednesday, inviting Belgians to download it massively on their smartphones in order to complete the contact tracking system.

Limited protests in Israel

Israel's parliament has approved a law to restrict protests during the reconfinement, a measure denounced by critics as aimed at silencing the protest movement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Read also: Israel: the reconfinement will be extended, warns the Minister of Health

The law is the latest step in tightening restrictions adopted by Israel to tackle the world's highest rate of contamination.

The Netherlands recommends wearing a mask indoors

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Wednesday that wearing a mask is now

nationally in indoor public spaces, such as shops, museums, theaters, airports and train stations.

The Netherlands, which had so far adopted more lenient measures than in most European countries, tightened restrictions in place on Monday, ordering bars and restaurants to close earlier and recommending the wearing of masks in shops. three largest cities in the country.

Spain gives up budgetary discipline

The Spanish government has announced that it will abandon fiscal discipline rules for 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic on public finances.

The authorities have agreed to extend the anti-Covid measures, already in force in certain areas of the Madrid region, to the entire capital and several municipalities in its periphery where the epidemiological situation is "worrying".

Northern Ireland restricts access to bars

Northern Ireland has ordered bars and restaurants to close at 11 p.m. from Wednesday, following similar controversial measures elsewhere in the UK.

United Kingdom: increased infection rate

British health authorities acknowledged on Wednesday that the infection rate was "not under control" in the United Kingdom, as the second wave of the new coronavirus continues to climb.