New measures, new reports and highlights: update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
The situation in France
The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 continues to drop slightly, including those in critical care, continues to decline, as does the circulation of the virus, according to official figures released Wednesday evening. The total number of hospitalized patients reached 30,578 against 31,091 on Tuesday and 32,878 people last Wednesday. The number of new admissions (1,975) is also down compared to the previous day (2,454), or compared to that of Wednesday of the previous week (2,614). The critical care services, which receive the most serious cases, had 3,126 Covid patients on Wednesday (including 207 admissions), against 3,235 the day before (291 admissions) and 3,503 the previous Wednesday. A figure that also continues to decline slowly.
On Wednesday, 98,735 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, according to data published by Public Health France. This brings the average over the past seven days to 108,148 daily cases, compared to 192,323 the previous Wednesday. This calculation helps to smooth out the deviations observed from one day to the next, often artificially created by data collection problems. Since the start of the epidemic just under two years ago, 135,855 people have died. 244 people died in hospital with a Covid diagnosis according to figures released Wednesday evening, compared to 304 on Tuesday. Nearly 54.2 million people have now received at least one injection (80.4% of the total population) and 53.1 million are fully vaccinated (78.8% of the population). 38.2 million people received a booster dose.
Europe eases restrictions
End of access controls to shops and restaurants, return of the public to stadiums, reopening of nightclubs, Germany followed suit on Wednesday with its European neighbors and announced the gradual lifting of most restrictions against Covid-19. Europe’s biggest economy is embarking on a three-step easing plan aimed at removing “a large part of the restrictions currently in place” by March 20, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, after a meeting with leaders of the 16 regions from the country.
Following in the footsteps of the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark, Switzerland is preparing to return to a certain normality, with the lifting of almost all measures. Only the mask in public transport and health establishments and the isolation of the sick for 5 days are maintained until the end of March, the Federal Council (government) announced on Wednesday. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced to him that “from March 5, a large part of the restrictions, which people complain about so much, will disappear”. No more need to show the vaccination pass at the entrance of hotels, restaurants, concerts and sporting events. The curfew is also removed.
Spain will remove gauges in sporting events from March 4 and stadiums will be able to accommodate the public at 100% of their capacity, as before the pandemic, health authorities announced on Wednesday.
The balance sheet in the world
The pandemic has officially made more than 5.8 million deaths worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Wednesday.
In absolute value, the United States are the country with the most deaths (928.444), in front of Brazil (640,774), India (509,872) and Russia (342,383).
Reported to the population, the countries where the epidemic has caused the most damage are Peru, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Hungary and North Macedonia. The 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 established.
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