The French government is preparing the spirits for new health restrictions, including a possible third confinement, after having noted that the curfew at 6 p.m. was not enough in the face of the more contagious variants of the Covid-19 virus.
Read also: How Macron seeks to reinvent confinement
Executive prepares ground for tougher measures
Prime Minister Jean Castex ends his consultations on new measures on Friday, January 29, through discussions with social partners.
Emmanuel Macron could announce these measures this weekend or Monday, which will be the subject of a debate and a symbolic vote in Parliament next week, we learned from several politicians who participated in meetings Thursday with Prime Minister Jean Castex.
Read also: Covid: abroad, is the third confinement effective?
WHO ready to investigate Wuhan
Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) came out of their quarantine Thursday, January 28 in Wuhan, to begin their investigation into the origins of the new coronavirus, more than a year after the appearance of the epidemic in this city in central China.
The United States, which detected the first cases of the South African variant, is calling for a "
clear and thorough
"
investigation
.
AstraZeneca not recommended in Germany for people over 65
The German vaccination commission advises against the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 years of age.
In the absence of evidence of efficacy for the elderly, the vaccine developed with the University of Oxford "
is currently only recommended for people aged 18 to 64
".
The laboratory ensures that "
the latest analyzes confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine in the group over 65 years
".
In the UK it is administered to all age groups.
In addition, the laboratory is under the wrath of the EU because of its delays in deliveries.
Covid-19 could alter sperm quality
Covid-19 could alter the quality of the sperm of men who contracted it, according to a German study published on Friday, involving a small number of patients and whose conclusions will have to be confirmed by other work.
"Too early to let go of the ballast" on restrictions in Europe
It is "
too early to let go of the ballast
" on restrictions in Europe, despite the decline in new cases in many countries, says the regional management of the WHO.
Thirty countries (of the 53 in the region) saw a significant decrease in the cumulative incidence rate over 14 days.
Portugal, which has reached 300 dead in 24 hours, will limit the travel abroad of its nationals for 15 days.
To read also: "Seen from elsewhere" N ° 36 - Covid: Europe plunges into the red
Vaccination in Morocco and Algeria
The first doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will arrive in Algeria on Friday and the coronavirus vaccination campaign will begin the next day in Blida (center).
In Morocco, King Mohammed VI was vaccinated against the coronavirus on Thursday, thus kicking off the national vaccination campaign.
Bolivia receives first batch of Sputnik V
Bolivia received Thursday a first batch of 20,000 doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V intended for the vaccination of health workers, the government said.
The distribution of these vaccines throughout the country will begin on Friday.
In Colombia, a thousand migrants, mostly Haitians and Cubans, are stranded in the north of the country due to border closures due to the pandemic.
Handling the virus: Brazil was worst, New Zealand best, study found
It is Brazil that has handled the Covid-19 pandemic the most badly while New Zealand is the best student on the planet, according to a study published Thursday by an Australian think tank.
The Lowy Institute in Sydney assessed nearly 100 countries based on six criteria, including confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, deaths and screening devices.
More than 100 million contaminations
The pandemic has killed at least 2.17 million people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established Thursday by AFP from official sources.
More than 100.8 million cases of infection have been diagnosed.
The United States is the country with the most deaths (432,603), followed by Brazil (221,547), India (153,847), Mexico (153,639) and the United Kingdom (101,887).
The global death toll is globally underestimated.
It is based on the daily reports from the national health authorities.
