COVID-19: the Brazil and the United States cross caps macabre

Brazil has surpassed the 90 000 deaths related to the COVID-19.

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July 29, 2020 22h51

Updated at 23h54

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COVID-19: the Brazil and the United States cross caps macabre

Sebastien Duval — Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — The two countries most affected by the pandemic coronavirus have reached Wednesday, caps macabre, the United States in excess of the 150 000 dead, and the Brazil crossing for his part, the bar 90 000 deaths related to the COVID-19.

The epidemic is very severe in the largest country in Latin America, which records an average of more than 1 000 deaths per day on seven days slippery since the start of July.

For its part, the world’s leading power, which had announced in late February its first death linked to the new coronavirus, lamented the fact that five months later than 150 000 casualties, the equivalent of the city of Savannah, Georgia.

After having experienced an improvement towards the end of the spring, the United States see since the end of June the epidemic is starting to increase again, particularly in the south and west of the country, where many States had quickly relaxed their measures of confinement, as it was called in his greeting president Donald Trump.

Faced with the slowness of the screening tests and to deficiencies in the follow-up of contacts of infected persons, the tourist Florida has registered Wednesday she only 216 new deaths in 24 hours, a record for this State.

In total, the country recorded Wednesday, nearly 1 in 270 people dead in one day, and more than 68 000 new cases, dating back to the levels recorded in the past two weeks, after a slight decrease during the weekend.

The epidemic is highly virulent in Brazil, which records an average of more than 1 000 deaths per day.

AP, Eraldo Peres

“Like a dream”

In the muslim holy city of Mecca, in saudi Arabia, of 1 000 (according to Ryad) to 10 000 (according to the local media) the faithful only were allowed to take part in the great annual pilgrimage, compared to 2.5 million last year.

Submitted to screening tests and placed in quarantine at their arrival, the pilgrims, wearing a mask and keeping a distance from each other, proceeded to the seven convolutions ritual around the Kaaba, the black stone at the heart of the Great mosque.

They then took the journey of Mina, a few miles away, to spend the night in a city of canvas and disinfected.

In the muslim holy city of Mecca, from 1 000 to 10 000 faithful have been allowed to take part in the great annual pilgrimage, compared to 2.5 million last year.

Photo AFP

All wore the white garment without seam, the”ihram”, de rigueur for the pilgrimage, but the contrast was striking between these small groups and the crowd that usually completes the Great mosque every year on this occasion.

“It is an indescribable feeling,” said a pilgrim from egypt, Mohammed Ibrahim, 43 years old. “It’s like a dream”.

Drastic measures in Hong Kong

In the world, the COVID-19 made a total of 660 787 deaths, according to the last balance sheet drawn up Wednesday by theAFP.

Among the countries most survivors are found, behind the United States and Brazil, the United Kingdom (45 878), Mexico (44 876) and Italy (35 123).

In China, where the pandemic at the end of the year 2019, the authorities announced on Wednesday that 101 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus, the heavier balance sheet in three months, while the gyms, bars and museums were closed in the most affected areas.

Hong Kong is on the verge of an epidemic of “great magnitude,” warned the head of the executive, Carrie Lam, at the time entered into force in the city on measures of social distancing, the more flare-ups since the beginning of the crisis.

The 7.5 million inhabitants of this city, a very densely populated area are now required to wear a mask in public, while restaurants can no longer serve dishes to take away. And gatherings are more than two people, with the exception of families, are no longer allowed.

The 7.5 million inhabitants of Hong Kong are now required to wear a mask in public.

AFP, Anthony Wallace

India, however, announced in early August an easing of its containment measures. The gyms and yoga can re-open and the current curfew imposed between 22h and 5h will be lifted in the vast country, which has surpassed the 1.5 million reported cases, which makes the third the most affected country in the world in absolute value.

Second wave?

In Europe, Spain saw the number of new cases daily to more than triple from two weeks to over 1 800. After France and the United Kingdom, Germany has advised its nationals to travel there.

Romania has adopted new measures to control the outbreak of new cases, of which the port of the mask mandatory in some outdoor spaces, and a reduced activity for bars and restaurants.

The French Health minister Olivier Veran has assured that the France was “not in a second wave”, while asking to “not let go” of efforts to avoid it.

On the global race to produce a vaccine, Russia announced on Wednesday that it hoped to begin production of two of them in September and October, trying to take the world of speed.

Two vaccine designed by researchers at the national centre for russians “today are the most promising,” said the deputy prime minister of russia, Tatyana Golikova.

Le Soleil