New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
The situation in France
The average number of positive Covid-19 cases over a week rose above the 100,000 mark on Wednesday, while hospitalizations are only falling very slightly, according to figures published by health authorities. The number of new cases identified on Tuesday is 145,560, against 108,832 seven days earlier, according to Public Health France.
The seven-day average, which smooths out the daily jolts, amounts to 104,176 cases against 98,928 on Tuesday and 74,912 last Wednesday. At the same time, the number of Covid patients in critical care, a very scrutinized indicator, continues to decrease very slightly, with 1,564 people in intensive care units, against 1,604 the day before and 1,728 last Wednesday.
Hospitals are welcoming a total of 20,653 Covid patients (including 1,373 new patients), compared to 20,742 on Tuesday and 20,757 patients on March 16. In the past 24 hours, 101 deaths have been recorded, and 141,319 people have died since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago in hospitals, retirement homes or other medico-social establishments due to a Covid-19 infection. On the vaccination side, 54.24 million people in total have received at least one injection (80.4% of the total population), according to the General Directorate of Health, and 53.32 million have a complete vaccination schedule (79.1 %).
Gathering in the United Kingdom for the dead of Covid-19, in the midst of an outbreak of cases
The United Kingdom paid tribute to the victims of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, two years after the first confinement, in the midst of a new surge in cases. A minute of silence was observed at midday in the Scottish Parliament, as well as in local communities, hospitals or vaccination centers across the country. On the occasion of this day of commemoration organized by the charity association Marie Curie, buildings will also light up in yellow in the four corners of the country, including the London skyscraper the Gherkin, Glasgow station (Scotland), the town hall of Belfast (Northern Ireland) or the Welsh Parliament. Nearly 164,000 people have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, one of the worst tolls in Europe.
The dead of Covid-19 “will never leave our hearts and our thoughts”, declared Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who himself found himself in intensive care for three days in April 2020, ill with Covid-19. After a strong wave at the end of December, the anti-Covid restrictions have all been lifted in recent weeks in England, including the obligation to isolate oneself. They have been considerably reduced in other nations, but wearing a mask indoors remains compulsory in Scotland and Wales.
But since the beginning of March, the number of cases has started to rise again in the country, approaching 100,000 a day, in particular in Scotland, where the number of hospitalized patients (2,221) broke a record Tuesday for the second consecutive day. In Scotland, one in 14 people was infected in the week ending March 12, while in England, one in 20 people had Covid during the same period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday. Scottish Health Minister Humza Yousaf told the BBC on Wednesday that the situation could stabilize in Scotland after one of the “toughest” weeks for the health system since the start of the pandemic. These high levels of infection are due to the rapid rise of Omicron’s BA.2 subvariant. To protect the population, the most vulnerable can benefit from a fourth dose of vaccine against the coronavirus since Monday in England. This dose of vaccine is offered to people aged 75 and over and immunocompromised people aged 12 and over. In total, about five million people will be able to get this fourth dose, with adults receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, while teenagers aged 12 to 18 are vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.