(Bloomberg) — After months of warnings that vaccinations would ward off a Covid-19 disaster, the U.S. is sailing toward a holiday crisis as hospitalizations rise.
Australia next month will start giving children as young as 5 the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a third dose of the Pfizer shot for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The City of London could be about to become a ghost town again after firms started telling thousands of staff to work from home in response to the latest U.K. government guidance. But in Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is set to go ahead next month in Davos.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 268 million; deaths pass 5.2 million
- Omicron propels U.S. booster drive where it’s needed least
- What we know about omicron: QuickTake
- BI’s Sam Fazeli on the effectiveness of vaccine boosters against omicron
Mexico Vaccine Stockpile Swells (8:21 a.m. HK)
Mexico’s stockpile of unused vaccine surpassed 50 million doses Thursday, according to Health Ministry data, as the country’s vaccination campaign lags regional peers.
Mexico was the first Latin American nation to deliver a jab of vaccine against the coronavirus last December and the daily rate of doses administered peaked at more than 1.5 million in late July. The number of doses delivered daily has plunged since then and hasn’t hit 500,000 in the past seven days, according to the Health Ministry.
GE Halts Vaccine Mandate, Raytheon Keeps It (7:48 a.m. HK)
General Electric Co. and a pair of large railroads suspended their employee vaccine mandates after a judge this week halted the Biden administration’s order requiring workers at federal contractors to get inoculated.
Raytheon Technologies Corp., however, said Thursday it will continue to require that employees be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Workers must be fully inoculated by Jan. 18.
Korea Shortens Booster Shot Interval (7:33 a.m. HK)
In South Korea, coronavirus vaccine booster shots for those 18 or older can be given three months after their primary vaccination, compared with the previous five-month interval, Yonhap News reported, citing Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.
The country is in the midst of a Covid-19 surge, despite being one of the most vaccinated places in Asia. South Korea, lauded throughout the pandemic for its sophisticated approach to testing and contact tracing, saw a record number of new infections this week, with 852 people seriously ill Friday.
U.S. Holiday Crisis Looms (7:33 a.m. HK)
Cases and hospital admissions in the U.S. are rising amid a season of family gatherings. Most victims have shunned inoculations, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy saying the “overwhelming majority” of infections, hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.
In 12 states and the nation’s capital, the seven-day average of admissions with confirmed Covid-19 has climbed at least 50% from two weeks earlier, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. The areas with the largest percentage upticks were Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Vermont and Rhode Island.
“We’re in desperate shape,” said Brian Weis, chief medical officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System in Amarillo, the state’s worst hot spot.
Australia to Vaccinate Ages 5-11 Next Month (5:05 a.m. HK)
Australia will begin vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 starting Jan. 10 with the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech shot, the government said in a statement.
Health officials expect to advise on use of the Moderna Inc. vaccine for children ages 6 to 11 in the coming weeks, according to the statement. It was released shortly after Australia’s Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation recommended the Pfizer vaccine for all children ages 5 to 11.
Omicron Spurs N.Y. Booster Shots, Hochul Says (3 p.m. NY)
New Yorkers got more than 500,000 booster shots in the past week, nearly doubling the previous week’s number, Governor Kathy Hochul said. She attributed the increase to public concern about the latest virus variant.
“I think the omicron variant got everybody a little nervous,” Hochul said at a news briefing. “They started realizing that there are some instances of breakthrough with the original vaccinations.”
The state’s seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people has risen to almost 50 from 34.6 two weeks ago, Hochul said, adding that she’s monitoring hospital admissions closely. The latest increase in cases and hospitalizations has been mostly caused by the delta variant, state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said.
CDC Recommends Booster for Ages 16-17 (2:28 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that adolescents ages 16 and 17 get boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
The Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency-use authorization for the vaccine earlier Thursday to 16 and 17-year-olds, once six months have elapsed after their second Pfizer-BioNTech dose. Vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are only approved for age 18 and older.
London Staff Told Stay Home (1:40 p.m. NY)
London could be about to become a ghost town again after firms started telling thousands of staff to work from home in response to the latest U.K. government guidance.
Deutsche Bank AG is significantly reducing the number of staff working in the office from Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The arrangements will be similar to earlier in the pandemic when most staff worked from home, with exceptions for trading teams or those with personal circumstances that require attendance in the office.
More here: Deutsche Bank, NatWest Tell London Staff to Work From Home
Amtrak Faces Worker Shortage (12:45 pm NY)
Amtrak expects it won’t have enough employees to operate all its trains next month when it plans to enforce Covid-19 vaccine requirements.
As Amtrak prepares to comply with the federal vaccine mandate, it will likely need to temporarily reduce frequency, particularly on its long-distance services, Stephen J. Gardner, president of Amtrak, said in written testimony for a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing. About 94% of the rail company’s workers have been fully vaccinated as of this week. Read more here: Amtrak to Cut Service as Workforce Shrinks on Shot Refusals (1)
South African Scientists Face Death Threats (11:40 a.m. NY)
South African Covid-19 scientists and researchers are facing death threats and harassment, News24 reported.
South African scientists discovered a highly mutated coronavirus variant, now named omicron, on Nov. 25 that the dominant strain in a surge of infections that has led South Africa’s government to consider mandatory vaccinations.
Read more: South Africa’s Top Covid Scientists Facing Death Threats
De Blasio Defends Mandate (11:12 a.m. NY)
Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers not to let city hospitals get overwhelmed, as some have upstate. The mayor this week announced a vaccine mandate for private-sector workers. A judge next week will hear arguments over whether to halt his mandate for municipal workers.
In an interview on Hot 97 Thursday, de Blasio pointed to hospitals in areas such as Buffalo that are near capacity. Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered 32 hospitals — including three in Buffalo — to halt elective surgeries to deal with the Covid patient surges.
“The urgency I’m feeling is we can move now before we end up in that situation,” he said. “Biggest city in America, densely populated, we cannot let that happen here.”
Germany Advises Vaccines for Ages 5 to 11 (9:14 a.m. NY)
Germany’s vaccine authority advised Covid-19 vaccinations for children ages five to 11 who have a pre-existing condition or are in regular contact with people who are at a higher risk. Children in the age group who aren’t at heightened risk can get shots if the parents want them to.
World Economic Forum to Go Ahead (9:00 a.m. NY)
The World Economic Forum scheduled for next month in Davos is set to go ahead, even as European countries grapple with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
The event “will provide a key platform for global health leaders to meet with government and business at the highest level to move forward,” a WEF spokesman said in a statement. “Switzerland is open to international travel and events, conducted under sensible and strict public health measures.”
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