Despite the arrival of spring and sunny days a week ago, the Covid-19 epidemic continues. Epidemic indicators, and in particular the number of cases, have been on the rise since the beginning of March, and hospitalizations remain stable.
The circulation of the virus is also reflected in the contamination of several political figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet or even a spokesperson for Joe Biden, the second in a few days. In China, the “zero Covid” strategy still seems untenable as the country decides to confine the city of Shanghai by sector.
- The number of cases still on the rise in France
The average number of people tested positive for Covid-19, calculated over a week, continues to increase, but hospitalizations remain stable, according to data from Public Health France published on Sunday March 27. The laboratories recorded 110,174 cases of contamination in 24 hours, against 139,517 the day before and 81,283 a week earlier. The seven-day daily average, which smooths out the daily jolts, stands at 127,488 against 89,002 the previous Sunday.
The situation is almost stable in hospitals, which listed 20,606 Covid-19 patients on Sunday (20,532 the day before, 20,566 last week). Hospitals received 292 new Covid patients on Sunday, compared to 619 on Saturday and 323 last Sunday.
The intensive care units, which treat the most serious cases, have 1,486 patients, according to figures from Sunday, a number almost identical to that of the day before (1,481) and lower than that a week earlier (1,642).
In the past 24 hours, 25 deaths have been recorded, bringing to 141,672 the number of people who have succumbed to the disease in France since the start of the epidemic more than two years ago, in hospitals, in nursing homes. retirement or in other medico-social establishments.
- In China, Shanghai imposes containment by sector
Shanghai is subject from this Monday, March 28 to containment by sector, in the face of a rebound in the Covid-19 epidemic linked to the Omicron variant. The eastern part of the city is confined for five days to allow the screening of its population, followed by the western part for the same duration from April 1. Shanghai has a total population of 25 million.
The metropolis has become in recent days the epicenter of a new wave of contaminations throughout China, which began to accelerate in early March. The National Health Commission reported more than 4,500 new infections on Sunday, a figure more than 1,000 lower than those recorded in previous days, but much higher than those of the past two years.
- Israeli Prime Minister Bennett tested positive after meeting with Blinken
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has tested positive for Covid-19, his office announced on Monday the day after a meeting in Jerusalem between the official and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who came to attend a meeting with his counterparts from Arab countries. “The Prime Minister is feeling well and will continue his schedule as planned from home,” his office said in a statement.
Arrived on the evening of Saturday March 26 in Israel, Antony Blinken spoke on Sunday with Naftali Bennett before going to the Negev (southern Israel) to meet with the head of Israeli diplomacy Yair Lapid their counterparts from Arab countries having normalized their relations with the Jewish state. The two politicians are due to meet their counterparts from the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Egypt again on Monday morning, according to the program.
- Another Biden spokeswoman with virus
Deputy White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Sunday that she tested positive for Covid-19 after her trip to Europe with President Joe Biden, in which she took part because the spokeswoman in charge had herself tested positive. Karine Jean-Pierre is the latest in a series of positive cases among people met by the American president.
She explained that a PCR test came back positive after returning to the United States on Sunday morning from a tour with Joe Biden in Brussels and Poland. “This afternoon I did a PCR test. That test came back positive. I last saw the president yesterday in a meeting with social distancing, and the president is not considered a case. contact according to the directives” of the American health authorities, she explained in a press release.
- Hong Kong reduces flight suspensions triggered by Covid cases to one week
Hong Kong announced on Sunday to halve the period during which it suspends international flights carrying passengers infected with Covid-19, without responding to requests from the aeronautical industry which wanted this measure to be completely abolished. This specific suspension mechanism prohibits an airline from operating a particular route for 14 days if three or more infections are detected on it among passengers on a flight.
The government announced that the suspension period would be reduced from 14 days to one week from April 1. Airlines and logistics companies have been pushing for the measure to be scrapped altogether, but Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said there was “no room for major relaxation”, the prevention of imported infections remaining “a fundamental pillar of local health policy”.
- Suu Kyi in quarantine, cases of Covid in her entourage
Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest for more than a year, was placed in quarantine after cases of Covid-19 were detected in her entourage, a source close to the former Burmese leader said on Monday. “Some people around her have contracted Covid-19 (…) She is being kept in quarantine although she is not infected herself,” said this source.
Targeted by a multitude of legal proceedings since her arrest, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner has not appeared in court since Thursday March 24, according to the same source. The ex-leader and her staff have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to those around her.