Faced with the deterioration of the Covid-19 epidemic and the rise of the English variant, the government has placed
20 departments, including Paris and the whole of Île-de-France,
under “
reinforced surveillance
”, which are likely to be in turn reconfigured locally, while waiting for the vaccination campaign to produce its effects.
Read also: Covid-19: a restart of the uneven epidemic and a mysterious variant effect
If the United States are "
several weeks ahead
" on their vaccination program, according to Joe Biden, "
the next few weeks will remain difficult in the field of vaccines
", warned the President of the European Council.
Next possible confinement in Paris
The mayor of Paris will offer the government a 3-week confinement in the capital in order to "
have the prospect of reopening everything
" at its end, including bars, restaurants and cultural places, said one of its officials Thursday.
Read also: Covid-19: partial containment, vaccines, treatments ... What to remember from the Castex announcements
Joe Biden praises the evolution of the vaccination program
The United States is
"several weeks ahead"
of the Covid-19 vaccination program, welcomed Thursday Joe Biden, who had promised 100 million doses administered in 100 days when he took office in November.
"Difficult weeks in the field of vaccination" in the EU, says Charles Michel
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, warned Thursday that "
the next few weeks
" would remain "
difficult in the field of vaccination
", after a summit with the leaders of the 27 devoted to the coronavirus pandemic.
Von der Leyen shows his optimism
The President of the European Commission said Thursday she was "
optimistic
" about her goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult EU population by "
the end of the summer
", thanks to the expected sharp increase in laboratory deliveries.
To read also: For Thierry Breton, "Europe has won the vaccine war"
A 3rd dose against the variants?
The Pfizer / BioNTech alliance will offer a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine to participants in its initial clinical trial, in order to assess its possible effect on immune strengthening against variants of the virus, the two companies announced.
AstraZeneca hopes to catch up on delays in deliveries to the EU
The boss of the laboratory AstraZeneca displayed Thursday his
"optimism"
on the ability of his group to catch up in the second quarter of its delays in the delivery of anti-Covid vaccines to the EU, thanks to an increase in production, during a hearing outstretched in front of MEPs.
The English variant settles in France
The English variant of the coronavirus, more contagious, "
now concerns about half of the people
" contaminated by the Covid in France, where new territorialized restriction measures could be put in place, without going for the time being to a new confinement .
Israel suspends donation of surplus vaccines
Israel has frozen the distribution of surplus coronavirus vaccines to allied states in particular, the justice ministry said on Thursday, stressing that the competent authorities should examine whether such a step was within the prerogatives of the prime minister.
Two vaccine candidates tested in Cuba
Two Cuban vaccine candidates against Covid-19, which have elicited a "
powerful immune response
", will undergo phase 3 clinical trials from March, one of the scientists in charge of the project announced Thursday.
Storage of Pfizer vaccine allowed at freezer temperatures
The United States Medicines Agency (FDA) on Thursday authorized the storage of the Pfizer / BioNTech alliance's Covid-19 vaccine at freezer temperatures, higher than those so far authorized, which will facilitate its distribution.
Restrictions at the Franco-German border
Paris and Berlin decided on Thursday to introduce restrictions in the form of mandatory testing for cross-border workers between the French department of Moselle and neighboring German regions, to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.
Argentina receives 904,000 doses of vaccine from Chinese laboratory
A shipment of 904,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from Chinese laboratory Sinopharm arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday evening by air, Foreign Minister Felipe Solá reported.
More than 2.5 million deaths worldwide
The pandemic has killed more than 2.5 million people worldwide since December 2019, according to an AFP count from official reports Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
More than 112.6 million cases of infection have been diagnosed.
The United States is the most affected country with 508,088 deaths, ahead of Brazil (251,498), Mexico (182,815), India (156,705) and the United Kingdom (122,070).
