Pressure still falling in hospitals in France, Pfizer anti-covid pill authorized in China, restrictions lifted in Norway…
Le Figaro
takes stock this Saturday February 12 on the latest information related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In France, the pressure continues to fall on the hospital
French hospitals are currently welcoming 31,522 patients with Covid (including 1,329 who arrived in 24 hours), down from Friday (31,939) and last week (32,867).
The decline also continues in the critical care services which treat the most serious cases, in particular in intensive care, with 3,324 patients (including 156 daily admissions) against 3,371 the day before, and 3,606 a week ago.
Read alsoCovid-19: has there been an “excess mortality” in private nursing homes?
Now largely dominant, the Omicron variant causes less severe forms of Covid, which results in shorter hospital stays and a lower risk of going to intensive care.
On the contamination front, the decline continues, confirming that the fifth wave of the epidemic has begun to ebb.
In 24 hours, 118,611 positive cases were recorded, against 131,376 on Friday.
On average over the last seven days, this indicator stands at 145,619 against 256,329 the previous Saturday.
Deaths remain at a high level, mainly among unvaccinated and immunocompromised: 161 people were killed by the disease in 24 hours, after 269 the day before.
France: anti-pass convoys on the Champs-Élysées
Some of the thousands of opponents of the vaccine pass, whose convoys were heading for Paris, managed to reach the Champs-Élysées on Saturday, quickly triggering the intervention of the police to disperse them.
Live "Freedom convoys": 32,100 demonstrators in France, including nearly 7,600 in Paris, according to the Interior
A heterogeneous gathering of opponents of President Emmanuel Macron, the vaccination pass and "
yellow vests
", those who call themselves "
freedom convoys
" were formed on the model of the mobilization which is currently paralyzing the Canadian capital Ottawa.
Canada: the police mobilized on a border bridge
Canadian police began Saturday morning to evacuate a strategic border bridge with the United States, blocked by protesters opposed to health measures, thousands of other protesters are expected in the federal capital Ottawa for a large rally.
Read alsoCovid-19: the revolt of “
truckers
” is booming in Canada
Anti-restriction convoy in The Hague
Opponents of health restrictions who came to protest in convoys from all over the Netherlands left the city center of The Hague on Saturday after blocking it for several hours, according to the police.
Read alsoLa Semaine du FigaroVox – What is the “freedom convoy” the name of?
“
Protesters who blocked The Hague city center today with trucks, among other things, have now left the city
,” said local police, who had ordered participants to leave the scene before 3:30 p.m., threatening them of an arrest and a fine.
Australia: demonstration against vaccination
Some 10,000 demonstrators, according to the police, marched in the Australian capital Canberra on Saturday towards Parliament to denounce the obligation to vaccinate against Covid-19.
Read alsoCovid-19: could we charge the non-vaccinated in the hospital?
Vaccination is not compulsory but required to enter the country and to work in a series of professions considered to be at risk, such as the care of the elderly.
China: Pfizer anti-covid pill authorized
In China, the National Medicines Agency on Saturday “
conditionally
” authorized the Pfizer pill to treat Covid, in a country where foreign vaccines remain awaiting a green light.
Read alsoCovid-19: why Pfizer's Paxlovid pill will not benefit everyone at risk
Like other countries, the pill will be reserved for patients at risk of developing a serious form of the disease.
Norway: end of restrictions
Norway lifted its latest anti-Covid restrictions on Saturday by removing social distancing instructions and the wearing of masks in crowded spaces, despite a spike in infections with the Omicron variant.
Iceland: the positive prime minister
Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir has tested positive from a family member, she wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Read alsoCovid-19: Omicron rekindles hope for herd immunity
Nearly 5.8 million dead
The pandemic has officially killed more than 5,799,910 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Saturday at 11:00 GMT.
The United States is the country with the most deaths (918,451), ahead of Brazil (637,152) and India (507,981).
The WHO 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 established.