Latest Covid developments from around world

PARIS: Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- EU alarm -

The European Union health agency calls on member states to "urgently" introduce measures to reduce the potentially "very high burden" from Covid-19 in December and January.

- EU booster call -

All adults in the EU should have access to Covid vaccine boosters, the bloc's chief Ursula von der Leyen says.

- Vaccine worries -

Covid vaccines reduce transmission of the dominant Delta variant by about 40 percent, the World Health Organization says, warning that people are falling into a false sense of security.

- New Dutch curbs? -

The Netherlands could announce tougher Covid-19 restrictions this week, just days after four nights of riots against the existing partial lockdown, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge says.

- Slovakia lockdown -

Slovakia will go into partial lockdown from Thursday, with restaurants and non-essential shops to shut while schools remain open, the government says.

- Putin plea -

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes another appeal to sceptical Russians to vaccinate themselves against Covid-19 but remains opposed to mandatory vaccinations.

- German carer bonuses -

Germany's incoming government will invest one billion euros in bonuses for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, incoming chancellor Olaf Scholz says.

- Cyprus clamps down -

Cyprus Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas says that after December 15, anyone who has not received a Covid-19 vaccine will be banned from sporting events, restaurants, cinemas and nightclubs.

- Bayern stars positive -

Bayern Munich says that star midfielder Joshua Kimmich and back-up striker Eric Choupo-Moting -- both of whom are unvaccinated -- have tested positive for Covid-19.

- More than 5.1 million dead -

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,165,289 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Wednesday.

The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 773,857, followed by Brazil with 613,066, India with 466,584, Mexico with 292,850 and Russia with 267,819.

The countries with the most new deaths were Russia with 1,240, followed by US with 1,183 and Ukraine with 595.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.