New reports, new measures and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic in France and the world this Thursday.
The Coronavirus Covid-19 epidemic killed 15 new people in 24 hours in hospitals in France, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) announced on Wednesday, which warns of an increase in positive tests, especially among young adults. The total death toll since the start of the epidemic stands at 30,238, including 19,723 in hospitals and 10,515 in social and medico-social establishments (Ehpad), specifies the DGS in a press release. The number of patients with a severe form of Covid-19 hospitalized in intensive care continues to decline, with 380 patients concerned, five less than Tuesday.
Ile-de-France, Grand-Est, Hauts-de-France and Guyana continue to account for 69% of people hospitalized in intensive care. But “the proportion of positive tests increases to 1.4% and there is a markedly greater increase in young adults. If they are at low risk of developing a severe form of the disease, young people can help to spread the virus. if they do not respect the barrier measures and contaminate their loved ones, parents, grandparents and fragile people , ” warns the DGS.
She recalls the importance of organizing festivities and gatherings “in the open air rather than in closed places”, of “limiting the number of participants, of systematically wearing the mask when people are not part of the usual family circle or in presence. people at risk and especially to keep distances between people “.
Wearing the mask outdoors depending on the situation
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran even encouraged the French to wear masks outdoors depending on the situation: “If you are in a street where there are several people going for a walk and you are not sure you can keep your eyes open. distance, I recommend it, “ he said Wednesday during a trip to the Yvelines.
The virus continues to circulate on the whole of the territory with 646 grouped cases (“clusters”) since May 9; 22 new since Tuesday, but 399 closed, so 247 households still active. A “cluster” is defined by the occurrence of at least three confirmed or probable cases in a period of seven days, which belong to the same community or have participated in the same gathering.
The rate of reproduction of the virus (or “R”, based on positive virological tests) at the national level “is higher than 1.3, in the constant increase since July 1st”, which means that each patient contaminates on average a little more than one 1.3 other people. Since the start of the epidemic, 107,110 people have been hospitalized in France and 81,500 have returned home.
150,000 dead in the United States, 90,000 in Brazil, the flow of migrants, the economic shock spreads
The United States, the country most bereaved in the world by the coronavirus pandemic, crossed the milestone of 150,000 deaths on Wednesday while the toll accelerated in Brazil with 90,000 deaths and the economic recession set in several countries of the world.
The first world power, which announced at the end of February its first death linked to the new coronavirus, deplores the macabre figure of 150,000 deaths five months later, while the health crisis has pushed millions of people into unemployment. The country recorded nearly 1,270 additional deaths in one day on Wednesday, and more than 68,000 new cases, rising to levels recorded in the past two weeks. Several states such as California, Texas and especially Florida, which reached a new death record on Wednesday (216), had to reverse the reopening of their activity.
In Washington, a Republican elected official reluctant to wear a mask in the US Congress tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday as he was about to leave for Texas with President Donald Trump.
In Brazil, the second country where Covid-19 kills the most in the world after the United States, the toll climbed Wednesday to 90,134 dead and a very high number of new contaminations in one day was recorded, at 69,074, according to the Ministry of Health. Official data all the more worrying as they seem underestimated in the eyes of scientists while the country practices very few tests.
In the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, only 1,000 (according to Riyadh) to 10,000 (according to local media) faithful were allowed to take part in the great annual pilgrimage, up from 2.5 million last year. Thursday, the pilgrimage must know its highlight with a day of prayer and invocations on Mount Arafat.
In total, worldwide, the Covid-19 has killed 660,787, according to the latest report established Wednesday by AFP.
Economic shock
The economic impact of pandemic is devastating in several regions of the world.
“This pandemic is the greatest shock to the American economy in human memory,” said Wednesday the President of the American Central Bank (Fed) Jerome Powell.
“From the lowest level of unemployment in 50 years to the highest level in 90 years, and this in two months,” he said, urging policies to further support households and businesses. Analysts expect the announcement on Thursday of an unprecedented drop in US GDP in the second quarter: at least –35%.
Never seen before for Germany, which should unveil Thursday a decline in its GDP of nearly 10%, the pandemic having dragged the country into its worst post-war recession.
In China, where the pandemic started at the end of 2019, the authorities announced on Wednesday 101 new cases of contamination, the heaviest toll in three months, while sports halls, bars and museums were closed in the most affected areas.
Hong Kong, for its part, is on the verge of a “large-scale” epidemic , warned chief executive Carrie Lam, as the city’s most extensive social distancing measures came into effect since November. start of the crisis.
The Hong Kong economy slipped into recession in the second quarter, with its GDP estimated to contract 9% year-on-year.
In Russia, President Vladimir Poutine judged that the situation remained “difficult” and could “tip from one side to the other “. Moscow wants to “avoid imposing a new regime of restrictions” after having prescribed long confinement throughout the spring, in the capital in particular. According to official statistics on Wednesday, Russia has recorded 5,475 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 828,990, of which 13,673 have been fatal.
Flow of migrants
On European coasts, the health and economic crisis linked to Covid-19 ” generates an exceptional flow of economic migrants”, the Italian Ministry of the Interior warned on Wednesday, calling on the European Union to take up the issue “immediately” . More than 11,000 migrants landed in Italy last week.
In France , the finances of local authorities will suffer a negative impact of around 7.3 billion euros this year due to the loss of tax revenue and the additional costs caused by the health crisis. The Minister of Health Olivier Véran called on the French “not to let go” of the efforts to avoid the “second wave”.
INSEE, the French statistical institute, revealed on Thursday that between the end of March and the beginning of April, the epidemic had generated in Europe a peak of the excess mortality of 50% compared to an average based on the number of deaths the same week between 2016 and 2019. This excess mortality reached 60% in France, 155% in Spain, 91% in Belgium.
In the global race to produce a vaccine, Russia said on Wednesday that it hopes to start production of two of them in September and October, trying to overtake the world.
