[EN DIRECT 31 JANVIER] The latest developments of the coronavirus

Whether in Quebec or elsewhere on the planet, the COVID-19 pandemic has been disrupting our lives for nearly a year.

Here you will find all the news throughout the day related to this crisis affecting the population, governments and the economy.

PLANETARY

Case: 102 840 181
Dead: 2,225,302

CANADA

Case: 778 119, whose 262,583 in Quebec

Death: 20,016, whose 9794 in Quebec

HERE ARE ALL THE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

4:16 p.m. | Nearly 20,000 new cases of COVID-19, hospitalizations on the rise in France

France has recorded nearly 20,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, while the number of hospitalizations and resuscitations is on the rise, according to official figures released on Sunday.

4:13 p.m. | AstraZeneca to deliver 30% more vaccines to EU in Q1

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday that AstraZeneca will deliver nine million more than planned doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the EU in the first quarter, or 40 million doses in total, a figure up 30%.

4:10 pm | The airline industry in crisis: pilots sound the alarm

Airline pilots implore the Trudeau government to come to the aid of Canadian carriers, which are threatened with bankruptcy as flights to sun destinations have been suspended and foreign companies are taking the opportunity to grab their market share.

MARIO BEAUREGARD / QMI AGENCY

2:46 p.m. | Schools will reopen on February 8 in the Netherlands

Dutch preschools and primary schools are set to reopen on February 8 amid a drop in the rate of coronavirus contamination in the Netherlands, the government announced on Sunday.

Schools were closed in mid-December in the country of 17.2 million people, where nearly 14,000 have died from COVID-19.

2:32 p.m. | Saudi Arabia Considering New Restrictions Amid Rising Cases

Saudi Arabia’s health minister warned on Sunday that new restrictions could be imposed amid rising coronavirus contaminations, as the kingdom slows down its vaccination campaign due to supply delays.

“We have observed in recent days a notable increase in contamination by the coronavirus. One of the most important reasons is laxity in the application of preventive measures, ”Tawfiq al-Rabiah said in a video message.

2:07 pm | Greece: first case of the South African variant of the new coronavirus

A first case of contamination by the variant of the new coronavirus identified in South Africa was detected on Sunday in a church in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, we learned from the National Public Health Organization.

“With the cooperation of the Church, we will carry out enhanced controls, tracing and rapid testing in the area,” Nikos Hardalias, State Secretary for Civil Protection and Management, told the media. crises.

13:11 | Josh Anderson declared negative for COVID-19

Recall that during the second period of Saturday’s game, due to flu signs, the team preferred to send him home. Around the attacker, it is believed that the symptoms are attributable to something he has eaten.

1:05 p.m. | Ottawa must ban all flights to the south, calls for the Bloc

The Bloc demanded on Sunday that Ottawa also prohibit foreign companies from offering Canadians flights to sun destinations, following the entry into force of the stopping of flights to the south for Canadian carriers.

12:25 pm | Capitale-Nationale: the best record since September

On Sunday, the region reported just 48 new cases of COVID-19 in its territory for a 24-hour period, the lowest point since … September.

According to data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec, it is indeed necessary to go back to September 12 to find a lower value for one day. 47 new infections were then identified.

12:19 pm | Measures for travelers and vaccination: a lot of tension in Florida

In social networks, pages intended for Quebecers in Florida are swarming with insults, according to Charles St-Maurice, a Quebecer who resides permanently in Florida.

11 am | The Quebec report shows 1136 people hospitalized, a drop of 27 patients; the province is reporting 1,223 cases and 31 deaths.

10:36 am | China temporarily bans entry of foreigners from Canada

“All foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work or for personal reasons are no longer allowed, temporarily, to enter China from Canada,” the embassy said on its website.

10:31 am | Ontario reports 1,848 new cases and 43 more deaths

9:53 am | Portugal bans non-essential travel abroad

By land, border controls between the country and Spain have been re-established and crossing points have been limited.

With regard to flights from the European Union and the Schengen area, Portugal has implemented three categories of measures depending on the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

9:45 am | Free tests for international travelers

International travelers arriving at Montreal-Trudeau Airport can access a free COVID-19 test.

As in Alberta and Ontario, screening is voluntary and offered to all international travelers.

9:25 am | The shops reopened on February 8?

Shops with a storefront could be open from February 8, believes epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf.

7:15 am | South Africa has ordered 20 million Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines

The country most affected by the pandemic on the continent has yet to start vaccinating its population, triggering criticism over the slow supply and the lack of a strategy.

7:13 am | Under UN pressure, Israel to give 5,000 vaccines to Palestinians

The new UN coordinator for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, last week called on Israel to facilitate the vaccination of Palestinians against COVID-19, citing “Israel’s obligations under international law”.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Israel has an “obligation”, as an “occupying” Power and under international humanitarian law, to “provide” vaccines to the 2.8 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and to both million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, under Israeli blockade.

7:12 am | Arrests in Brussels to avoid protests against anti-COVID measures

Nearly 500 people were pre-emptively arrested Sunday in Brussels to prevent two protests banned by the authorities against anti-COVID measures, a local police spokesman told AFP.

5 h | [FAITES LA DIFFÉRENCE] Exhausted students who need their spring break

We have taken the time to write this letter in response to the article that Mr. Antoine Robitaille wrote in The Journal of Quebec and in The Journal of Montreal, giving arguments in favor of the cancellation of the spring break.

Archive photo, QMI Agency

3 h 35 | Australia: containment in Perth after first case of COVID-19 in 10 months

A five-day lockdown will begin in Perth on Sunday, due to the discovery of the first case of local transmission of the coronavirus in 10 months in this Australian city, authorities said.

3 h 21 | China: WHO experts visit the Huanan market in Wuhan, first focus of the epidemic

Released from 14 days of quarantine on Thursday, the team members began their field investigation on Friday.

This visit is politically most delicate for Beijing, accused of having delayed reacting to the first cases of COVID-19 reported at the end of 2019 in the immense metropolis of central China.

1 hour | Teens victims of ECP fraud

“My 16 year old daughter is a full time high school student. She has never worked or even produced a tax return, ”says Lucie Dumas.

Last week, she still received a tax form that said her child had withdrawn $ 4,000 in ECPs.

A father deplores a similar situation which happened to his daughter of the same age.

0 h 29 | United States: demonstration in front of a vaccination center in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County, where COVID-19 cases have increased this winter, currently only vaccinates frontline health workers and people aged 65 and over. Even among these groups, appointments are extremely difficult to secure, with vaccine doses from Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna in limited numbers.