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Stockholm (AFP)
In an “optimistic” scenario, the European Union could begin “in the first quarter of 2021” to distribute the first vaccines against Covid-19, which continues to spread throughout the world.
Andrea Amon, director of the European Agency in charge of epidemics, said in an interview with Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that the situation on the epidemic front in Europe is “very worrying” and “all our indicators are going in the wrong direction”, calling on Europeans to respect the restrictions imposed “however difficult it may be”.
And he warned that in the current situation, “the reduction in the number of cases may require more time” than during the first wave of infections in March and April. He added that the road to the first European vaccines is still long and uncertain, and “may take a few months.”
And he stressed, in response to a question about the expected date for the first vaccines in Europe, “If we are optimistic, the first half of next year, but I cannot be more precise.
“Of course, the Pfizer announcement is very promising. It is a press release and not a peer review, so we have to wait for the final opinion,” Amon said.
A European source announced to France Press on Tuesday that permission to use the vaccine in the European Union could take place “at the beginning of 2021” after the announcement by the American Pfizer and the German Piontech that the effectiveness of their vaccine reached 90 %, which revived the hope of stopping the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, the European Commission announced that it had agreed to a contract with Pfizer and Biontech, allowing it to purchase 300 million doses of the vaccine.
Three other agreements were concluded with the Swedish-British “AstraZeneca”, the American “Johnson & Johnson” (up to 400 million doses of each group) and the French-British “Sanofi-GSK” (up to 300 million doses).
– “Health Unit” –
The director general of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, warned that the economic recovery in the eurozone can be “unstable” even with a vaccine.
As EU countries seek to deal with the spread of the virus, each in their own way, Brussels on Wednesday revealed its project for a “health unit” to equip the Union with the means to face future health crises by creating of a new agency with broad powers.
European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides declared that the new institution “is a complete revolution in our strategic preparations and our ability to anticipate threats and strengthen a common European reaction.”
But it won’t see the light of day until 2023.
Meanwhile, European countries are tightening restrictions to curb the second wave of the outbreak.
After France, Britain and other countries, Hungary imposes partial isolation, starting Wednesday, which is supposed to last at least 30 days, as gatherings were banned, restaurants were closed, cultural and entertainment events were canceled. and the curfew was extended from 20:00 to 05:00.
In the Czech Republic, the government announced the reopening of primary schools, the first easing of restrictions in this country since the start of the second wave of cases.
In soccer, the friendly match scheduled for Wednesday between Norway and Israel was canceled after it was discovered that a person from the Israeli team had been infected with Covid-19, and Swedish coach Jan Anderson was set in stone after to confirm that he had contracted Covid-19.
The new Corona virus has killed 1,275,113 people worldwide since the outbreak was reported in China in late December, according to an AFP census based on official sources on Wednesday at 11:00 GMT.
– Record number of cases in the United States –
The United States is the country most affected by the number of deaths and injuries, with some 240,000 deaths. And there were 202,000 new cases in 24 hours, according to Tuesday’s census from Johns Hopkins University.
And the president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden, announced Saturday that he will form, starting Monday, a crisis cell for the emerging coronavirus, which includes scientists and experts, to face the most prominent challenge that his administration will meet in front of him from the first day of his mandate.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump praised the “good news” regarding the 90% effectiveness of a vaccine developed by US companies Pfizer and German Biontech to prevent Covid-19 infection.
“The stock market is rising, a vaccine is on the way soon. 90% effectiveness reported. Good news!” Trump wrote on Twitter minutes after the two companies announced the matter, days after their defeat in Joe Biden’s presidential election.
Analysts attributed the Republican president’s defeat in part to his administration’s handling of the emerging coronavirus crisis, especially with the epidemic that recently swept across the United States.
© 2020 AFP
