New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
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115 new deaths in France
According to Santé Publique France, 115 new deaths linked to Covid-19 were to be deplored this Sunday and 301,614 new cases were recorded.
28,838 patients are hospitalized today, including 3,760 patients in critical care services against 3,746 the day before and 3,792 on Friday.
With Omicron, a “plausible” end to the pandemic
The Omicron variant, which could infect 60% of Europeans by March, has started a new phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in the region and could bring it closer to its end, the director of WHO Europe estimated on Sunday.
“It is plausible that the region is approaching an end to the pandemic
,” Hans Kluge told AFP, calling however for caution because of the versatility of the virus.
An entire district preventively screened in Beijing
The city of Beijing intends to screen all the inhabitants of a district of around two million inhabitants, in the district of Fengtai, on Sunday, after the discovery of an epidemic focus, less than two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games. winter in the Chinese capital.
Since last weekend, around forty cases of Covid have been identified in Beijing, the majority are of the Delta strain.
Belgium: clashes during an anti-sanitary pass demonstration
Clashes opposed the police and opponents of restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic in Brussels on Sunday, during a demonstration which brought together tens of thousands of people.
According to the authorities, around 50,000 people marched in the Belgian capital, some from other European countries.
This is the largest in a series of protests in the city over the past few months.
Record contamination in Russia
Russia announced on Sunday a new daily record for coronavirus contaminations for the third consecutive day, a spread due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The most bereaved country in Europe by Covid-19, Russia has recorded 63,205 new cases, after having recorded 57,212 on Saturday and 49,513 on Friday, according to government figures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned last week that his country had two weeks to prepare before being struck down by this variant, calling for accelerated testing and vaccination.
Australian Open: Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck positive
Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck announced on Sunday that she tested positive for Covid-19 before leaving Australia after her elimination from the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, becoming the second player to do so after Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
More than 5.58 million dead
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 5,589,818 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report compiled by AFP from official sources on Sunday at 11:00 GMT.
In absolute terms, the countries with the most deaths are the United States (865,968), Brazil (622,801), India (489,409) and Russia (326,112).
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The World Health Organization estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that officially recorded.
