New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
– Over 150,000 dead in UK
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people in the United Kingdom, the government said on Saturday, a symbolic milestone for the country among the most bereaved in Europe.
More specifically, 313 new deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded on Saturday, bringing to 150,057 since the start of the pandemic the total number of people who died 28 days after a positive test.
– Two million cases per day worldwide
More than 2 million daily cases of Covid-19 were recorded on average worldwide over the week of January 1 to 7, a figure which has doubled in ten days, according to an AFP count.
The number of new daily cases has increased by 270% since the discovery in late November 2021 of the Omicron variant in Botswana and South Africa.
The vast majority of new cases are currently detected in Europe (7,211,290 cases in seven days, + 47% compared to the previous week) and in the United States and Canada (4,808,098 cases, + 76%).
– France: rebound in anti-pass mobilization
The demonstrations of health passes and opponents of the Covid-19 vaccine experienced a very clear rebound in France on Saturday, with 105,200 participants, four times more than during the previous mobilization of December 18, according to the authorities.
This burst of mobilization comes after comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said this week that he wanted to “piss off” the unvaccinated “.
– Djokovic asks to be able to train
Members of the Serbian community demonstrate in front of the Melbourne detention center where their compatriot Novak Djokovic was placed after being banned from entering Australia due to his vaccination status, January 8, 2022
© AFP – William WEST
Novak Djokovic, banned from entering Australia for health reasons and who believes he can be exempted from vaccination after contracting the Covid in December, asked on Saturday to be able to leave the Melbourne detention center to train.
An appeal from the world tennis No.1 is due to be examined in federal court on Monday, just over a week before the Australian Open.
– CAN: the Burkina team affected, the Senegalese Koulibaly positive
“Four to five managerial players” from Burkina Faso and the coach have tested positive for Covid and are expected to miss the opening match of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) on Sunday in Yaoundé, explained the assistant coach, who contests the procedure.
Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly has also tested positive for Covid-19, announced his club from Naples (Italian Serie A). The player “is vaccinated and asymptomatic. He is now in solitary confinement, in accordance with health protocol”, specifies the club.
– Iran: death of the poet Baktash Abtin, infected in prison
Iranian poet, filmmaker and dissident Baktash Abtin died in prison after contracting Covid-19, several human rights organizations announced on Saturday, accusing Tehran of being responsible for the death.
– Hong Kong: end of quarantine for dozens of personalities
Dozens of prominent Hong Kong figures, including the police chief and the finance minister, will be allowed to leave their quarantine after one of the two cases of Covid-19 detected at a party they were attending was declared false positive Saturday.
– More than 5.4 million deaths
Covid-19: developments around the world
© AFP – Source AFP
The pandemic has killed more than 5,478,486 people worldwide, according to AFP’s report on Saturday at 11 a.m. GMT. The United States is the most bereaved country with 837,262 dead, followed by Brazil (619,937), India (483,463) and Russia (315,400). Mexico passed the 300,000 dead mark on Friday.
However, 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.
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