New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic in France and around the world.
The situation in France
For the third consecutive week, the incidence rate is increasing and the R-effective (the number of infected person per case) is greater than 1, which announces an increase in the number of cases next week, if the barrier gestures are not respected. On average, 5,917 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed per day, informs Public Health France (SpF) in its weekly report. The positivity rate continued to increase, to 2.2% on average, in a dispute of a significant decrease in the number of tests due to the end of their reimbursement.
In mainland France, the incidence rate was on the rise in all regions. It reached 89/100 000 inhabitants in Corsica (+ 60%), 83 in Pays de la Loire (+ 14%), 77 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (+ 6%) and 73 in Île-de-France where the increase was the least marked (+ 3%). In all, the incidence rate exceeded 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in 58 departments to settle nationally at 62 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of new hospitalizations remains stable (-3%), as in critical care (-5%). As of November 2, 6,741 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, including 1,104 in critical care.
– Anti-health pass demonstrations in France
Nearly 30,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in France against the health pass for the 17th consecutive weekend of mobilization, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry identified 165 actions across the country, with 3,240 demonstrators in Paris.
The situation in the world
– American justice suspends the vaccine obligation wanted by Biden in companies
A US federal court of appeal on Saturday suspended the vaccine obligation introduced by Joe Biden for employees of companies of more than 100 people, the time to examine potential “serious constitutional problems”.
The US president’s measure requires tens of millions of employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by January 4, under penalty of having to undergo very regular tests. It was challenged in court in particular by the State of Texas, controlled by the Republicans.
– Record of contaminations in Russia –
Russia recorded 41,335 contaminations in 24 hours on Saturday, a record since the start of the pandemic, a sign of an epidemic that is not weakening despite the non-working week decreed by President Vladimir Putin from October 30 to November 7.
With 245,635 officially registered deaths, the country holds the European record in this area. And the toll is undoubtedly even higher, since the statistics agency Rosstat estimated it at nearly 450,000 deaths at the end of September, with a broader definition of deaths linked to the virus.
– Deadly fire in an Indian hospital –
A fire killed at least 11 coronavirus patients on Saturday, most of them over 60, in a hospital in Ahmadnagar, western India, an official source has learned. The recently built room which housed around twenty Covid patients has completely burned down.
The situation of India’s underfunded public health system reached a critical point with the strong Covid-19 wave of April-May, and several hospitals had to deal with fires.
– Austria: restaurants reserved for vaccinated people –
Austria announced to impose from Monday the obligation to be vaccinated or cured of Covid-19 to be able to access restaurants, hotels and cultural places, while the country is facing an increase in cases of contamination.
– More than five million dead –
The pandemic has made more than 5.03 million dead in the world since the end of December 2019, on more than 249 million confirmed contaminations, according to a report established by AFP on Saturday at 16:00 GMT.
The United States is the country with the most deaths (754,216), ahead of Brazil (609,060) and India (460,285).
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 which is officially established.
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