New measures, new reports and highlights: an update on the latest developments in the Covid 19 pandemic worldwide.

– Africa: 10% vaccinated in 15 countries –

Fifteen of the 54 African countries have at least 10% of their population fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while half of the countries on the continent have only vaccinated 2% or less, the World Organization (WHO) office for Africa said on Thursday.

Nine countries, including South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, had hit the 10% target in early September, and six more hit it by the end of the month thanks to increased vaccine deliveries, according to the WHO regional office.

Among the continent’s vaccination masters, the Seychelles and Mauritius have fully vaccinated more than 60% of their residents, Morocco 48%, Tunisia, Comoros and Cape Verde more than 20%.

– Vaccines: EU extends export controls –

Brussels will extend its export control mechanism for anti-covid vaccines made in the EU until the end of December to ensure supplies to the twenty-seven in the face of “uncertainties” created by the emergence of new variants, announced on Thursday The European Commission.

In practice, this mechanism requires that before any vaccine export by an EU laboratory, the green light is obtained from the Member State from which the doses are being shipped. This decision must then be confirmed by the Commission.

– Record of daily deaths in Russia and cases in Ukraine –

Russia posted a record of daily deaths from Covid-19 for the third day in a row on Thursday. The vaccination campaign remains sluggish and containment measures are lacking.

In the past 24 hours, 867 people have died from the coronavirus in the country, according to the report released by the government.

For its part, Ukraine has reported a record number of new infections (11,757 cases in the last 24 hours) as a new wave hits the country as it prepares to introduce mandatory vaccination for teachers and officials.

– Slovenia: Justice suspends civil servants’ compulsory vaccination –

On Thursday, the Slovenian Constitutional Court suspended the compulsory vaccination for public sector employees against Covid-19 a few hours before it came into force.

The Minister of Public Service, Bostjan Koritnik, “regretted” the court ruling and promised to respect it. The constitutional court had been occupied by a police union.

– French youth health passport –

Young French people aged 12 to 17 who have so far avoided the restrictions on the health passport imposed on their elders in view of the Covid 19 crisis will have to present it for many activities from this Thursday.

For almost two months now, adults have been forced to regularly present this document in the form of a QR code certifying that they are either vaccinated, have recently taken a negative test, or have recovered from Covid for less than six months.

A bill is in preparation to extend the passport restriction beyond November 15th. The government wants to “keep the option” to use it “until the summer of 2022,” said a spokesman on Wednesday.

– More than 4.77 million dead –

The pandemic has killed at least 4,771,320 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to an assessment compiled by AFP from official sources on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. GMT.

The United States is the hardest hit country with 695,116 deaths, followed by Brazil (596,122), India (448,062), Mexico (276,973) and Russia (207,255).

The World Health Organization (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.

burs-jba-fm / cds / clr