Sylvie Claire / June 3, 2020
The number of patients affected by Covid-19 in intensive care continues to decrease with 43 fewer patients in 24 hours. The epidemic caused 81 new deaths in French hospitals, bringing the total toll to 29,021 deaths since the start of the epidemic. In Germany, late in the evening, Angela Merkel announced a recovery plan of 130 billion euros for the years 2020 and 2021.
New epicenter of the pandemic, Latin America counts its dead. Brazil has passed the milestone of 30,000 deaths from coronavirus after a death record in 24 hours, even if that did not prevent Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo from initiating deconfinement. Colombia, a border neighbor, has exceeded 1,000 dead, less than three months after the detection of the first case of contagion. Mexico, which is also starting to resume economic activity, has more than 10,000 and Peru deplores more than 4,600.
In Europe, the pressure is still easing. Italy reopened its borders to European tourists on Wednesday, a month after the gradual resumption of activity in the country which hopes to approach the summer to save its tourism industry, a key sector of its economy sapped by the pandemic.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced late Wednesday a 130 billion euro stimulus package for the years 2020 and 2021 intended to stimulate the German economy hit hard by the pandemic.
Among the measures announced are, in addition to the temporary reduction in VAT and debt transfers from municipalities to the federal state, an allowance of 300 euros per child for families or the doubling of the premium on the purchase of a electric vehicle to support the automotive sector.
> In Chile, Santiago confined for a 4th week
Chilean health officials have announced the extension for a fourth week of containment in Santiago in an attempt to curb the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a new record number of deaths.
Since the appearance of the first case declared on March 3, the South American country of 18 million inhabitants has recorded 113,628 contaminations, including 1,275 fatal. In the past 24 hours alone, a record 87 people have died and 4,942 have been infected.
Hydroxychloroquine: no side effects for Trump
US President Donald Trump has seen no side effects during the two-week treatment of hydroxychloroquine he decided to take as a preventive against coronavirus, said the White House doctor.
"The President completed this treatment safely and without side effects," said Dr. Sean Conley in a statement on the President's medical condition.
Borders: Italy requests "reciprocity" from its partners
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio asked his European partners for "reciprocity" on Wednesday to reopen the borders, while Austria and Switzerland keep their Italian border closed despite widespread deconfinement in Europe.
"We were the first to be affected by the pandemic, but we have lower (epidemiological) figures than other countries," added Luigi Di Maio.
Netherlands to soften warnings on tourist travel in Europe
The Dutch government has announced that it will soften tourist travel warnings for several European countries from June 15, hitherto not recommended for combating the spread of Covid-19.
The announcement comes hours after a similar decision by the German authorities. In view of the summer holidays, non-essential travel will no longer be discouraged in 12 European countries, including Germany, Belgium and Italy, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a press conference.
In France, the decline continues in intensive care
The coronavirus epidemic has caused 81 new deaths in 24 hours in French hospitals, bringing the total toll to 29,021 deaths since the start of the epidemic, according to the balance sheet released on Wednesday by the Directorate General of Health.
This assessment does not include deaths in social and medico-social establishments during the past 24 hours. At the same time, the number of intensive care patients continues to decrease.
The American administration refines its choice of vaccines
The US administration has selected five vaccine candidates against the new coronavirus as part of its final selection, wrote on Wednesday the "New York Times". According to the daily, the finalists are Moderna, the University of Oxford associated with Astrazeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer.