The coronavirus epidemic is on the rise again around the world, and the WHO is warning of an overly general lifting of health restrictions.
Le Figaro
takes stock this Thursday, July 8 on the latest information related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To discover
Covid-19: what we know about the Delta variant
Over four million dead
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than four million officially listed deaths, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday (July 7), adding that the real toll was
"most certainly"
higher.
"
We have just passed the tragic milestone of four million listed Covid-19 deaths which, most certainly, underestimates the overall toll
," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
France: call for "massive" vaccination
The French government has again called for a "
massive vaccination
" against Covid-19, which is "
the
trump
card
" to face the "
risk of a rapid fourth wave
" with the rise of the Delta variant.
Read also: Covid-19: 72% of French people for compulsory vaccination of caregivers
Spain wants to speed up vaccination of young people
Faced with an explosion of cases among young people, Spain wants to speed up the vaccination of this age group, in order to avoid a new wave of the disease that would ruin the tourist season and restart the economy.
Read also: Covid-19: is it risky to go on vacation in countries where the Delta variant circulates?
Warning against lifting restrictions too broadly
WHO has warned against lifting too broad the health restrictions put in place in an attempt to curb the pandemic, including in countries with a high vaccination rate.
"I call for the most extreme caution regarding the total lifting of health and social restrictions at this time, because it will have consequences,"
said Dr Michael Ryan, in charge of health emergencies.
Read also: UK prepares to lift latest health restrictions
United States: Covid cases on the rise again
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in the United States, where the Delta variant has become dominant, according to data from US health officials on Wednesday.
The seven-day average of the number of new daily infections stood at just under 13,900 cases on Tuesday, compared to around 11,500 two weeks ago.
Brazil: the Delta variant circulates in Sao Paulo
The Delta variant is "
already circulating
" in the state of Sao Paulo, the most populous in Brazil, local health authorities announced on Wednesday, confirming the spread of the strain initially detected in India in the second most bereaved country by the Covid- 19.
Read also: Jair Bolsonaro on the dock after the devastation of the Covid in Manaus
Algeria once again crosses the barrier of 500 contaminations per day
Algeria surpassed the 500 daily contamination mark on Wednesday, for the first time since November 2020, as the most populous country in the Maghreb increasingly fears a new wave of Covid-19.
Cuba: dispatch of medical reinforcements to a tourist region
Cuban authorities on Wednesday urgently sent doctors and medical equipment to the tourist region of Matanzas, where hospitals are overwhelmed by a significant increase in Covid-19 cases.
United Kingdom: pandemic has worsened the situation of the most precarious
Living standards have held up in the UK since the pandemic on average but the most insecure - the self-employed, low-income families and ethnic minorities - have suffered "
increasing deprivation
", according to a study.
To read also: In the United Kingdom, 50 vaccinated among the 117 deaths of the Delta variant: is this worrying?
Towards a state of emergency in Tokyo
The Japanese government intends to declare a new state of emergency in Tokyo, which should cover the entire period of the Olympic Games which open in two weeks in the capital, to cope with the increase in cases, according to several local media.
The state of emergency, the fourth since the start of the pandemic, will run until August 22, according to these media, while the Games are being held from July 23 to August 8.
Indonesia: skyrocketing deaths
The fourth most populous country in the world with nearly 270 million inhabitants, Indonesia reported 1,040 deaths attributed to the coronavirus over 24 hours, a record, while the daily number of new infections stood at 34,379.
Drastic restrictions were already in place on the islands of Java and Bali to deal with the spread of the Delta variant but new measures will now apply to dozens of cities from Sumatra (west) to West Papua (east) .
Compulsory vaccination in Turkmenistan
A reclusive country in Central Asia, Turkmenistan, one of the few states in the world to have reported no cases of Covid-19, has announced that it is making vaccination mandatory.
Read also: Covid-19: is it possible to make vaccination compulsory?
IMF calls to help the poorest
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, urged the G20 countries to act as quickly as possible in favor of the poorest countries, facing the risk of a "
devastating double shock
", namely "
losing the race against the virus
”and“
miss the opportunity to join a historic transformation towards a new economy based on green and digital foundations
”.
