11:45 a.m .: Russia passes the bar of 100,000 daily infections, a record
Russia exceeded this Saturday for the first time the symbolic bar of 100,000 daily infections, a record which illustrates the strength of the new wave due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. According to government figures, 113,122 new cases have been registered in the past 24 hours, and 668 people have died. The capital, Moscow, remains the main focus of the epidemic in Russia with 26,488 new infections and 76 new deaths. This is a record of new infections for the ninth consecutive day in the country most bereaved in Europe by the coronavirus.
11:08 a.m .: Australian doctors in the Solomon Islands to fight a Covid outbreak
A team of Australian doctors arrived in the Solomon Islands on Saturday to help authorities tackle a sudden surge in cases of Covid-19, virtually absent from this Pacific archipelago until last week.
10:29 a.m .: The “BA.2” sub-variant would be 1.5 times more contagious than the Omicron “BA.1” variant
The “BA.2” sub-variant is said to be 1.5 times more contagious than its “cousin” the Omicron “BA.1” variant, according to authorities in Denmark. According to the Statens Serum Institute, the government health organization of this country quoted by our colleagues from Politiken, “BA.2 is 1.5 times more contagious than BA.1”. Still according to the SSI, when a case of “BA.2” infection is detected, two cases go under the radar.
In France, according to Santé Publique France, over the last two weeks of December (latest data available) the variants overwhelmingly belonged to the “BA.1” sub-lineage, with only 60 sequences for “BA.2” identified by sequencing.
9:41 am: The certificate of reinstatement will only be valid for four months from February 15
In a fortnight, on February 15, the certificate of recovery (for the vaccine pass), obtained after a positive test, will only be valid for four months, compared to the current seven months, announced the Minister of Health Olivier Véran in a video on Twitter where he calls for vaccination. So if you are not vaccinated or if you have not had your booster dose, “if you are positive, you cannot be vaccinated but you will have a certificate of recovery, it will be valid for a period of four month “.
9:38 a.m .: Five members of the Canadian Olympic delegation positive for coronavirus
Five members of the Canadian delegation, among those who arrived in Beijing for the Winter Olympics (February 4-20), tested positive for Covid-19, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Friday. “Many athletes come from countries where the Covid is on the increase. The numbers for Canadian athletes are expected to reflect the situation in the Canadian population,” said Dr. Brian McCloskey, chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Council, on Saturday.
8:10 a.m .: Truck drivers demonstrate in Canada against the vaccination obligation
Several hundred Canadian truckers, who have received support from billionaire Elon Musk, converged on Ottawa on Friday to participate in a demonstration against compulsory vaccination to cross the Canada-US border.
660,000
Russia has recorded more than 660,000 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to figures from the Russian Statistics Agency (Rosstat). This is almost double the official toll communicated daily by the government, which is 329,443 to date.
7:34 am: Mixed reception for the Novavax vaccine in the Overseas Territories
The announcement made by Emmanuel Macron to deliver the Novavax vaccine as a priority to the overseas territories aroused mixed reactions on Friday in Overseas France, where opposition to vaccination against Covid remains strong against a backdrop of social crisis. Novavax, without messenger RNA, “it changes nothing”, reacted Guy Frédéric, president in Guyana of the association Health-respect for all, strongly mobilized against the vaccination obligation in this department where 60% of people over twelve do not are not or not completely vaccinated. “The vaccination obligation is the problem, not the type of vaccine”, he believes, regretting that “the government is bent on pushing through”.
7:15 am: The extended vaccination pass in French Polynesia from February 8
The vaccination pass will be extended to French Polynesia from February 8 for all people aged 16 and over, according to a decree from the High Commissioner of the Republic published in the Official Journal in this overseas community. It will replace the health pass required for travel between Tahiti and the other Polynesian archipelagos, concerts and discotheques, exhibitions and fairs welcoming more than 50 exhibitors, fairgrounds with more than 30 stands, or even most activities and events. cultural, artistic, dancing and festive.
7:12 a.m .: Joni Mitchell follows Neil Young and withdraws from Spotify
Country singer Joni Mitchell announced on Friday that she was removing her music from Spotify due to Covid-19 “lies” leaked on the streaming platform, as Neil Young had done shortly before.
“I have decided to remove all my music from Spotify,” the “Big Yellow Taxi” singer wrote on his site, supporting the folk-rock legend in his fight against the popular American host’s podcast. and controversial Joe Rogan. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue,” said the 78-year-old Canadian, who has 3.7 million subscribers on the platform.
6:50 a.m .: More than 35 million French people have done their vaccine reminder
” This [vendredi] evening you will be more than 35 million to have made your vaccination reminder, ”said Olivier Véran in a video posted on Twitter. The Minister of Health is delighted that France is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, but at the same time assures that “it is not enough”. It is therefore particularly aimed at the 7 million French people who have not yet made this reminder: “This message is a call for mobilization. […] I count on you. Protect yourself. Take care of you. »
6:49 am: No more compelling reason for French people living abroad who return without a vaccine
French people living abroad and not vaccinated will no longer be obliged to present a compelling reason to return to France if they come from countries classified red or orange, the Council of State ruled on Friday. This obligation had been imposed on them last July in an article of a decree finally canceled by this jurisdiction. “This requirement is likely (…) to create a lasting obstacle to the exercise of the fundamental right to return to the national territory available to all French people, without the health benefit of such a measure being manifestly such as to justify the infringement which is thus brought to this right”, explains the Council of State in its decision.
The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stipulates that all travelers outside the European Union, whether vaccinated or not, must present the result of a negative PCR or antigen test, carried out less than 48 hours before departure.
+7% growth in 2021, a historic figure
Good news: the French economy recorded record growth of 7% in 2021! The terrible recession of the previous year, linked to the appearance of the pandemic and its repeated confinements, is thus erased. Good news also for the president-candidate, after the drop in unemployment. There remains the black point of purchasing power… Click here to find out more.
6:48 am: Mid-May, June 15, July 5… Discover the new baccalaureate calendar
The bac specialty tests, scheduled for March 14 to 16, have been postponed to mid-May due to the Covid-19 epidemic. As a result, the marks will not be taken into account in Parcoursup, which saddens many high school students… It is also a decision that upsets the baccalaureate calendar. We give you the recap of the important dates below.
6:47 am: More than 31,000 people are hospitalized in France
Hospitalizations continue to climb in France, where 31,271 patients were treated on Friday for Covid-19 (+289 in 24 hours). At the same time, the number of patients in critical care units (which receive the most serious cases) decreased (3656, -38).
353 503
For the third consecutive day, the number of contaminations was down on Friday: 353,503 new cases have been diagnosed in the past 24 hours, according to Public Health France. This is 11% less than last week.
What to remember from the day
- The Omicron variant currently concerns the majority of deaths occurring in hospital with Covid-19, indicates the Drees.
- According to National Education figures as of Thursday, 21,049 classes out of 527,200 in France are currently closed due to Covid.
- The baccalaureate specialty exams for final year students have been postponed to mid-May, and will therefore no longer be taken into account by Parcoursup.
- The French economy experienced historic growth of 7% of GDP in 2021, according to INSEE. A “spectacular rebound [qui] erasing the economic crisis” linked to Covid-19, welcomed the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire.
- More than 35 million French people have received a dose of vaccine, said Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health.
- Jean Castex has let it be known in Alsace that he will unveil next month a “massive plan for the reinvestment of Sanofi in France”.
- The Moroccan government has decided to reopen the airspace from February 7 to flights to and from the country, after more than two months of closure.
6:45 a.m .: Hello everyone and welcome to this live broadcast devoted to the news of the Covid-19 pandemic in France and around the world.