The French approve of the end of the obligation to wear a mask, the WHO criticizes several European countries for having "
brutally
" lifted their measures, China confines a city of 9 million inhabitants...
Le Figaro
takes stock of this Tuesday, March 22 on the latest information related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read alsoWhy the wealthiest French people emerge stronger from the Covid-19 crisis
WHO criticizes several European countries for having “
brutally
” lifted their measures
Several European countries, including Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, have lifted
their anti-Covid measures too “
brutally
” and find themselves faced with a sharp rise in cases under the effect of the sub-variant BA.2, the World Health Organization lamented on Tuesday.
During a press conference relocated to Moldova, the director of the WHO in Europe, Hans Kluge, said he was "
vigilant
" about the current epidemic situation on the continent, while claiming to remain "
optimistic
".
Currently, the number of Covid cases is on the rise in 18 of the 53 countries in the WHO Europe zone, according to the health organization.
"
The countries where we see a particular increase are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy and Germany
," said Hans Kluge.
"
These countries have lifted the restrictions brutally (...)
", estimated the UN official.
According to WHO data, the number of new cases in Europe had fallen sharply after peaking in late January, but it has been rebounding since early March.
According to epidemiologists, this rebound is explained in particular by the now predominance of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, approximately 30% more contagious - but not more dangerous - than its predecessor, BA.1.
Read alsoLiving with the Covid, the strategy put to the test by the rebound
China confines a city of 9 million people
Chinese authorities on Tuesday decreed the confinement of a city of 9 million inhabitants, as China faces its worst epidemic outbreak since 2020, which puts a strain on its zero Covid strategy.
The industrial city of Shenyang (north-east), where many factories are located, including that of the German manufacturer BMW, now confines its inhabitants to their residences and has launched a new general screening of the population.
»SEE ALSO – Health restrictions are tightened in northeast China
The city is the capital of Liaoning province, bordering that of Jilin, which is by far the epicenter of the current epidemic wave, due to the Omicron variant.
A spokesperson for BMW told AFP that the manufacturer's production in Shenyang "
has been adjusted or reduced in accordance with the requirements of the authorities
": on three sites, one is stopped and two will be on Wednesday.
China's Health Ministry announced 4,770 new positive cases nationwide on Tuesday.
Very low figures in comparison with other countries in the world, but high for China and its zero Covid strategy.
Thanks to confinements, quarantines on arrival in the territory or even tracing of movements, the country has stemmed the epidemic for two years, allowing the Chinese to live an almost normal life.
Read alsoCovid-19: China confines a city of 9 million inhabitants
The French approve of the end of the obligation but continue to wear it, according to a poll
The end of the obligation to wear a mask is approved by a majority of French people, but many of them continue to wear them at work or in stores, according to a YouGov poll for the
HuffPost
published on Tuesday.
According to this survey for the online media, 53% of those questioned agree with the lifting of the wearing of the compulsory mask against Covid-19 which took place on March 14 (except in transport and health establishments).
They approve of lifting this obligation in schools (66%) and in businesses (57%), but not in stores (46% for and 53% against).
However, 68% of them say that they continue to wear a mask at work, including 36% all the time, among the only working people, i.e. a sample of just over 500 people.
Among all respondents, 75% also report continuing to wear it in stores.
Read alsoCovid-19: in which places is the health pass still compulsory?
Pfizer will provide its anti-Covid treatment to developing countries
Pfizer will sell up to 4 million doses of its treatment against Covid-19 to Unicef, in particular for African countries, the American laboratory announced in a press release on Tuesday, without specifying the amount of the transaction.
The United Nations Children's Fund will be responsible for distributing Paxlovid tablets in 95 countries representing approximately 53% of the world's population.
“
Low or middle-low income countries will be able to obtain treatments at cost price while middle-high income countries will pay according to the price grid defined by Pfizer
”, details the press release.
Deliveries are due to begin in April.
The Paxlovid treatment is primarily intended for populations at risk (very elderly, immunocompromised, suffering from certain rare diseases, etc.).
It reduces the risk of being hospitalized or dying from Covid by around 85%, according to clinical studies.
Read alsoCovid vaccine: is it possible that Pfizer has a disclaimer?
Scientists urge Hong Kong to abandon 'zero Covid' strategy
Top Hong Kong scientists have urged the territory's authorities to abandon China's "
zero Covid
" strategy ahead of another epidemic wave so that the financial hub does not become a "
closed port forever
".
"
The past two months have been a very painful experience and we cannot afford to wait
," Gabriel Leung, who leads a team of scientists working on the virus, told reporters.
Read alsoHong Kong to lift ban on flights from nine countries in April
On Monday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced an easing of restrictions from April 1 - mainly concerning international flights and the duration of quarantine on arrival in the territory - but refused to give a sheet. way out of the crisis.
Hong Kong has been in the grip of an unprecedented epidemic outbreak since the appearance in early January of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Gabriel Leung, dean of the faculty of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, is a government expert to whom Carrie Lam refers regularly.
He urged the city on Tuesday to consider Covid as an endemic disease and to emphasize vaccination, otherwise Hong Kong "
will remain a closed port forever
".
»SEE ALSO – Covid-19 cases at their highest in two years
