While France is deconfining and the European Medicines Agency will reflect on December 21 on the marketing of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Europe, on the other side of the Atlantic, the United States has recorded a new record of contaminations and Joe Biden says he is ready to be vaccinated "
in public"
.
Biden ready to get vaccinated "in public"
US President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday, December 15, he was ready to be vaccinated “in public” against Covid-19 as soon as he can, the day after the United States launched a vast national campaign to vaccination.
Read also: BioNTech's vaccine will be imported to China
A "limited" crowd for his inauguration
The organizing committee for the inauguration of future US President Joe Biden has warned that the ability to attend the ceremony in person on January 20 would be "
extremely limited
" for the public.
1st home test without a prescription in the United States
The American Medicines Agency (FDA) announced Tuesday, December 15 that it was authorizing the marketing in the United States of the first Covid-19 test at home and without a prescription.
The test will be able to indicate the presence of the virus in 20 minutes and will be sold for $ 30.
Read also: Covid-19: the Twenty-Seven are trying to coordinate on tests and vaccines
California ICU bed shortage
Covid-19-related cases and deaths continue to break records in southern California, clogging hospitals and causing a shortage of available intensive care beds: less than 100 were still free Tuesday in Los Angeles County, which has ten million inhabitants.
Sundance Film Festival Selects Pandemic Films
The Sundance Film Festival unveiled its program on Tuesday, December 15, the first of its kind to present films made during the pandemic and evoking this unprecedented health crisis, some of which could end up at the Oscars.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: European decision on December 21
"
Before Christmas
": under pressure from Germany, the European Medicines Agency will finally look at the fate of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21 - a week earlier than expected, paving the way for a possible start of vaccinations in Europe before the end of the year.
Read also: Effectiveness, adverse effects ... What we know about Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines
The vaccination campaign will be launched the same day in all European countries, we learned from the entourage of President Emmanuel Macron.
Deconfinement in France
France is cautiously coming out of a second lockdown, maintaining health restrictions.
A nighttime curfew went into effect every evening at 8:00 p.m., including December 31 (but not December 24), and cultural venues will remain closed until at least January 7.
Read also: Deconfinement: the opposition is ironic about the new measures
More than 1.6 million deaths worldwide
The pandemic has killed at least 1,621,397 people worldwide since December 2019, according to a report established by AFP.
Over 72.7 million cases have been diagnosed.
Read also: Covid-19: new record of nearly 250,000 cases in 24 hours in the United States
The United States recorded a new record of contamination on Tuesday, December 15, with more than 248,000 cases of Covid-19 recorded in 24 hours, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The United States is the most affected country, with 303,292 deaths, followed by Brazil (182,799), India (143,709), Mexico (114,298) and Italy (65,011).
Partial Reconfinement in Quebec
Quebec Premier François Legault announced Tuesday, December 15 a series of new restrictions including the closure of non-essential businesses from December 25 to January 11 and mandatory teleworking from Thursday, in order to stem the second wave of coronavirus.
Read also: Covid-19: Christmas gatherings canceled in Quebec
Brazil gives itself 16 months to vaccinate its population
The Brazilian Ministry of Health announces the wish to vaccinate "the general population" within 16 months of the approval of a vaccine, according to the national immunization plan unveiled Tuesday, December 15.
Brazil is targeting the immunization of at least 70% of the population, or nearly 150 million people.
