The Kovid-19 pandemic has killed at least 2.43 million people worldwide since late December 2019. After the United States (490,550 deaths), the most affected countries are Brazil (242,090), Mexico (177,561), India (156,014) and the United Kingdom (118,933). The African continent, for its part, has crossed the mark of 100,000 dead. On this Friday, the subject will actually be discussed among the G7 leaders.

In France, there is more than ever fear of an outbreak due to variants. Some geographic areas, such as the Moselle or the North, are the subject of particular attention. The vaccination campaign, it should soon take a new step, as injections can be done by general practitioners at the end of the month, with preference for people between 50 and 64 years of age. In total, more than one million French people have already received two doses of the vaccine.

Follow the events of 19 February:

> Elder self-segregation “too complicated”, Judge Gabriel Attal

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Friday, “requesting self-secession to fight and protect the Kovid-19 proposed by the Scientific Council seems too complicated.”

“We have to see what it suits and if it is effective”, he said on France 2, though noting that “such a measure had no effective effectiveness” according to Health Minister Olivier Wren “and that” No “country in the world that defines only one generation and not others”.

> United Kingdom: retail sales fell 8.2% in January

The National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday that retail sales in the UK had fallen by 8.2% in a month, the biggest drop since April 2020.

According to a statement, they collapsed into clothing or household items as a result of the closure of non-essential businesses, but they increased slightly in food.

> Renault net loss of 8 billion in 2020

The diamond group reported a net loss of 8 billion euros last year against the backdrop of falling sales linked to the Kovid-19 epidemic and Nissan difficulties. However, it experienced a sharp rebound in the second half of the year, which augurs well for the group’s new strategy.

> More than 9,100 additional cases in Germany

According to data released Friday by the Robert Couch Institute for Infectious Diseases, the number of confirmed cases is 2,369,719, or 9,113 higher than the day before. Since the onset of the epidemic in the country, the institute has also reported an additional 508 deaths, reporting a total of 67,206 deaths.

> First G7 meeting for Joe Biden.

Joe Biden will attend his first G7 meeting as President of the United States this Friday. A virtual conference during which the leaders of the biggest world powers will specifically discuss the health crisis and economic recovery.

A White House spokesman said Thursday that the US president wants to focus on the “global response to the pandemic, including vaccine production, product delivery,” and attempts to fight emerging infections. He will also discuss “the recovery of the world economy, the importance of all industrialized countries to maintain economic aid”, said Jane Jane Saki.

Joe Biden will further promise $ 4 billion for the Kovacs anti-Kovid vaccination device. A senior US official said the first installment of the $ 2 billion would be released “very soon”. The second tranche of 2 billion will be released gradually in 2021 and 2022. The program aims to provide Kovid vaccines to about 200% of the population of about 200 participating countries and regions this year, but above all the funding mechanism that allows 92 low and middle income economies to reach valuable doses.

On Thursday, Emanuel Macron proposed that rich countries have 3 to 5% vaccines in stock in Africa, which is a shortfall. In an interview with “Financial Times”, the head of state indicates that he will present the idea at the G7 Friday leaders’ meeting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel “agrees” with the initiative, she said.

> China announces 10 new infections

Health officials said on Friday that a day earlier, China had identified 11 new infections. All the latest new cases concern people coming from abroad.

Since the onset of the epidemic, 89,816 infections have been confirmed in mainland China. Also 4,636 dead, none of them extra in the last twenty-four hours.

> Ireland maintains health restrictions until end of April

Prime Minister Michele Martin said that Ireland would maintain preventive measures imposed in the face of the coronovirus epidemic until the end of April. Health officials have warned that the ubiquity of more infectious forms is complicating the fight against the health crisis.

“We have indicated in the past that we will study it again after Easter, but by the end of April you can expect significant restrictions,” the manager told the Irish Mirror newspaper.

> Brazil crosses 1 million cases

The number of confirmed cases since the onset of the epidemic now stands at 10,030,626, and 243,457 are dead – an additional 1,367 in twenty-four hours.

While a new version of the virus discovered in Amazon threatens to exacerbate the health crisis in the country, the vaccination campaign is slowing due to insufficient number of doses.

> France sets rules for summer festivals

This year French summer festivals can be held in a seated configuration with a maximum capacity of 5,000 spectators, the Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday. France hosts several festivals during the summer but restrictions have been put in place to fight the coronovirus epidemic and uncertainty about its development has prompted organizers to seek clarity from the government.

> Possible “no doubt” vaccination in the workplace at the end of February

The month of February, starting with 50-64-year-olds with co-morbidities, will allow vaccinations at companies “probably from the end of the month”, said Laurent Pietrcevsky, Secretary of State for Occupational Health. “That moment has arrived, especially thanks to the AstraZeneca vaccine”, he told BFM Business’s microphone before specifying it would be done “very slowly”.

In addition, the Minister of Health, Olivier Veran, at the end of the day on Thursday indicated that the vaccination campaign would take “even greater magnitude” in March, the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for all French people aged 50 to 64 years.