(Paris) New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic around the world.
The milestone of 100,000 daily cases crossed in France, a new record
France crossed the threshold of 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours on Saturday, Christmas Day, unprecedented, while the government must reassess the situation on Monday.
With 104,611 new cases in 24 hours, the country has reached a threshold unprecedented since the start of the epidemic in March 2020, according to figures released Saturday evening by the French public health agency. The 50,000 mark was passed on December 4 and this figure has therefore doubled in three weeks, according to data from the health agency.
India launches vaccination for young people aged 15 and over
India will launch the vaccination of young people aged 15 and over on January 3 to face the challenge posed to the country by the Omicron variant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday.
Air traffic disrupted by the pandemic
Some 6,300 flights were canceled by airlines across the world over Christmas weekend, with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 disrupting travel during the holidays, including pilots in quarantine.
Three members of famous South Korean K-pop group BTS test positive for COVID-19
Three members of BTS, a famous South Korean K-pop group, tested positive for COVID-19 upon their return from the United States, where they gave concerts on stage for the first time since the start of the pandemic, their producer announced on Saturday.
Rapper RM and singer Jin tested positive on Saturday night, Big Hit Music reported.
Highest number of cases in four months in China
China reported 140 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, the highest figure in four months, as authorities try to contain the outbreak in several regions, including the city of Xi’an, where millions of people are confined and where most of the contaminations have occurred.
China, which has so far successfully brought the epidemic under control on its soil and recorded just two deaths in a year and a half, is on high alert as it is due to host the Olympic Games in February. winter in its capital Beijing.
The Xi’an cases have so far spread to five other cities, including Beijing, state media say, fueling fears about the speed of a spread.
More than 5.39 million deaths worldwide
The pandemic has killed at least 5,391,404 people around the world since the end of 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Saturday at 11 amGMT.
In absolute terms, the countries that have recorded the most deaths are the United States (816,436), Brazil (618,392), India (479,520) and Russia (302,250).
Among the hardest hit countries, Peru is the one with the highest death toll relative to its population, followed by Hungary and Bosnia.
The World Health Organization (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 recorded.