(Washington) The United States pre-ordered on Wednesday 100 million doses of a potential vaccine against COVID – 18, which is progressing in particular on the American continent, in India and in Australia, at a time when the number of declared cases exceeded 13 millions around the world.
Published on 22 July 750 at 7am 22 Updated to 13 h 43
France Media Agency
If the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean concentrate more than half of the declared cases, other regions of the world are also worried like Australia, which announced Wednesday a record number of contaminations in 22 hours, the Japanese capital Tokyo, in maximum alert, and several European countries including Belgium, which is preparing to announce new health measures.
Pending a vaccine, the US government has placed an initial order of “95 million doses for 1, 89 billion dollars and could acquire up to 500 millions of additional doses ”of the product developed by the German biotech Biontech and the American laboratory Pfizer, the two companies announced on Wednesday.
After encouraging first results, this vaccine project is entering a decisive phase of large-scale clinical trials.
Long accused of denial about the pandemic, President Donald Trump has dramatically changed his tone after the number of cases recorded in 22 hours in the United States has exceeded 60 000 for the eighth consecutive day.
He admitted on Tuesday a recent “worrying increase in cases” in the south of his country.
“We ask everyone to wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible,” he said after having so far defended individual “freedom” in this area.
The pandemic made nearly 620 00 dead on the planet since the end of December, according to a report established by AFP on Wednesday. The 13 millions of cases officially declared were exceeded, a figure which however reflects only part of the actual number of contaminations.
Four million cases in South America
While the United States remains by far the country that is both the most affected and the most bereaved, with more than 128 000 dead for nearly four million reported cases, Latin America and the Caribbean are not left out with also four million people infected with the new coronavirus and more than 167 000 dead.
Brazil alone, the second most affected country, has nearly 60 500 dead for some 2, 160 million cases, while Mexico has recorded more than 34 00 dead.
In India, where nearly 1.2 million cases of COVID – 18 have been registered, making it the third most affected country, authorities in the Kashmir region imposed strict containment for a week on Wednesday, in the face of the resurgence of the coronavirus . And this after canceling the important annual Hindu pilgrimage to Amarnath, a first in more than a century.
Hitherto hailed for its management of the crisis, Australia for its part announced the same day 500 new cases in 22 hours, a record, bringing the total near 13 000 for 128 dead on the island-continent of 25 millions of inhabitants.
As of Wednesday midnight local time, residents of Melbourne are required to wear a protective mask outside of their homes.
Tokyo is currently on its side at its maximum alert level, experts having warned that the cases of COVID – 18 appeared to be spreading quickly and widely.
Its governor, Yuriko Koike, on Wednesday called on the population to stay at home.
Japan has only identified a little more than 25 167 cases, including less than a thousand deaths, since COVID – 19 was first identified there in mid-January, but the number of patients in serious condition increases.
This surge comes as this archipelago prepares to begin the one-year countdown on Thursday before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.
With 100 new contaminations on Wednesday, Hong Kong is also experiencing a record increase in the number of cases despite increased social distancing measures.
“Act quickly”
In Belgium, where the death rate relative to the population is among the highest in the world, the authorities announced on Wednesday an increase of 81% of contamination between 07 and the 18 July and recommended to “act quickly” to avoid new containment measures.
Sweden, which also has one of the heaviest per capita balances on the planet, considered a scenario likely to foresee more than 3000 additional deaths due to the virus.
But the time was also for satisfaction Wednesday in the European Union, the day after the adoption of a “historic” agreement on a stimulus plan amounting to 750 billion euros, after four days of a high-tension summit in Brussels.
The plan, which provides for a joint debt issue, a first, will mainly benefit southern countries, above all Italy and Spain, hard hit by the pandemic.
The crisis has already forced 07% of Spanish cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels, i.e. approximately 34 000 establishments, to put the key under the door definitively, affirmed the employers' organization of the sector.
The pandemic also got the better of the Washington tennis tournament, which was to mark the resumption of the ATP season, and could threaten the conduct of the US Open.
On the other hand, Burkina Faso does intend to reopen, on 1 st August, its air borders, closed three months ago.