The pandemic has killed more than 600,000 people since the end of December, according to a report drawn up by AFP on Sunday at 11:00 GMT.
The United States is the most heavily affected country with 140,474 deaths. Next come Brazil (79,488 dead), the United Kingdom (45,273), Mexico (39,184) and Italy (35,042).
Great Britain: agreements for 90 million additional doses of vaccine
The British government announced Monday an agreement for 90 million doses of two vaccines under development against Covid-19, that of the German-American alliance BioNTech / Pfizer and the French laboratory Valneva. These agreements – on 30 million doses for the Alliance between the German biotech BioNtech and the American laboratory Pfizer and 60 million (with an option for an additional 40 million) for the French Valneva – are in addition to an agreement with the British group AstraZeneca for 100 million doses of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford.
These figures greatly exceed the British population (66 million inhabitants), but it is not yet known whether these vaccines will work and if successful how many doses will be needed to vaccinate the same person.
With these new agreements, “the government now has secure access to three Covid-19 vaccines that are being developed here and around the world, giving the UK every chance of having access to a safe and effective vaccine at the faster, “the government said in a statement.
Severely criticized for its management of the crisis, which has killed more than 45,000 people in the United Kingdom, the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced in April the establishment of a “task force” to accelerate efforts to develop and produce a vaccine.
Nearly 40,000 dead in Mexico
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 39,184 lives in Mexico, according to figures released Sunday by Mexican health officials.
Over 13,000 dead in Peru
Peru crossed Sunday with 13,187 dead the milestone of 13,000 deaths related to coronavirus, announced the Peruvian Ministry of Health on the eve of the scheduled reopening of restaurants as part of the gradual deconfinement of the country.
More than 5,000 dead in South Africa
South Africa, the country most affected by the pandemic on the African continent, has passed the 5,000 death mark. The deaths were 5,033 according to official figures released Sunday.
Concern in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is in a “critical” situation vis-à-vis the epidemic of coronavirus, according to the chief of its executive Carrie Lam, the ex-British colony having recorded in 24 hours more than 100 new contaminations, a record.
Whereas the semi-autonomous region of 7.5 million inhabitants had initially recorded very good results in the fight against the epidemic, the number of cases has increased again in the last two weeks and doctors have struggling to identify chains of transmission.
EU: risk of failure
The battle over the EU’s post-Covid-19 stimulus package intensified overnight Sunday through Monday at the European summit in Brussels, which is threatened to end in failure.
European Council President Charles Michel urged EU leaders on Sunday evening to agree on the recovery plan, calling on them not to present “the face of a weak Europe, plagued by distrust”.
Support for Bolsonaro
Hundreds of people gathered in Brasilia on Sunday to show their support for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in quarantine after contracting the new coronavirus.
Failure to wear the punished mask
In France, failing to wear a mask from Monday in all enclosed public places could be worth a fine of 135 euros.
Whereas the authorities considered the wearing of the mask for people not sick four months ago, it is now imposed on everyone in sales outlets, shopping centers, administrations, banks and covered markets .
Trump persists and signs
As the number of coronavirus infections soars in the United States, Donald Trump defended his comments that the disease would eventually “disappear”, saying he was opposed to the idea of imposing the wearing of the mask at the national level.
“I will be right in the end. You know, I said: it will disappear. I will say it again,” said the American president.
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