New measures, new reports and highlights: An update on the latest developments in the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

– Novavax: European green light –

The European Union on Monday authorized the use of a COVID vaccine from US firm Novavax, whose more traditional technology may reduce doubts among the unaffiliated.

Nuvaxovid is a so-called “subunit” vaccine, which is based on a protein that triggers an immune response without the virus itself. It became the fifth serum approved by the European Commission, which followed the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

– Germany: Towards minimum holidays –

Germany plans to tighten its health restrictions around the new year to protect itself against the Omicron variant, by closing all nightclubs and reducing contact between individuals, including vaccinations, according to a project consulted by AFP on Monday. is preparing.

– France: Immunization of impending children –

Following the ethics committee on Friday, the French High Authority for Health spoke on Monday in favor of vaccination against COVID in children aged five to 11 years, but did not want to make it “mandatory”.

– Omicron: Moderna optimistic about effectiveness of its vaccine boosters –

The pharmaceutical company announced that a booster made with the full dose of Moderna Vaccine, instead of the half dose currently used, further enhances its effectiveness against the Omicron version of COVID-19.

– WHO’s wish for 2022 –

The year 2022 should be the year “where we will end the pandemic”, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wished on Monday, calling for the fight against vaccine inequality and caution in the meantime. Holidays.

– France: more than 180,000 false health passes –

Some 182,000 fake health passes have been produced in France since the device’s inception this summer, the government said on Monday, which is ramping up controls as the country faces a new wave of cases of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant. Used to be.

– Omicron “goes wild” (Fauci) –

US scientist Anthony Fauci, a White House adviser on the health crisis, warned Sunday that the Omicron version was “massive” around the world, worrying that the number of unvaccinated Americans still despite being eligible: nearly 50. million, according to him.

– Davos Forum postponed until summer –

The World Economic Forum (WEF), which was due to meet on January 17-21 in Davos, Switzerland, has been “postponed” and is expected to “early summer” due to the spread of the Omicron version, it announced. Organizers.

– Record supplementary budget in Japan –

The Japanese parliament on Monday adopted a record additional budget of about 36 trillion yen (282.1 billion euros) for the 2021/22 fiscal year, aimed at partially funding the massive stimulus plan announced earlier in the month. The last to boost the recovery of the world’s third-largest economy while the pandemic continues.

– 700,000 spectators at a concert in Saudi Arabia –

The MDLBest Soundstorm music festival in Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 700,000 spectators for four days, a record figure, with officials in the ultra-Orthodox kingdom facing an upsurge in contamination cases, said officials.

– Nadal tested positive –

Star tennis player Rafael Nadal has announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on his return from the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Tournament.

“Limited” at home in Spain, the player indicates less than a month before the Australian Open that his “schedule” will depend on his development.

– Over 5.35 million dead –

The pandemic has killed at least 5.35 million people worldwide since the outbreak of the disease was reported by the WHO office in China in late December 2019, according to a report compiled by AFP from official sources on Monday.

In absolute terms, the countries that have recorded the most deaths since January 2020 are the United States with 806,438 deaths, Brazil (617,803), India (477,554) and Russia (298,222). By population, the countries where the pandemic has wreaked the most havoc are Peru, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Hungary.

The Europe region is the one that currently records the most deaths (57% of the total), followed by the USA/Canada region (19%).

The WHO estimates that the consequences of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than what is officially recorded, taking into account the additional mortality rates directly and indirectly linked to COVID-19.