(Bloomberg) — The omicron variant will likely be the dominant strain of Covid-19 in Europe by mid-January, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Infections with the variant were detected for the first time in the Philippines and Lithuania. Poland registered more than 660 Covid fatalities, the highest daily toll in the current wave of the pandemic. In Germany, the new health minister said he’s working to reverse an imminent vaccine shortage.
Pharma giants Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline Plc said their experimental vaccine works as a booster, but suffered yet another delay with the main clinical trial results. Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine, one of the most widely used in the world, doesn’t provide sufficient antibodies in two doses to neutralize the omicron variant and boosters will likely be needed to improve protection, initial lab findings showed.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 271.5 million; deaths top 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.53 billion shots given
- Unvaccinated patients push hospitals past the brink
- Will omicron oust delta is a question facing virus scientists
- Omicron divides Europe over plan to simplify travel rules
- What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake
Omicron Seen Dominant in EU by Mid-January (5:17 p.m. HK)
The omicron variant will likely be dominant in Europe by mid-January, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, adding that the case numbers appear to be doubling every two or three days.
Von der Leyen said that the current wave in Europe is still being driven by the delta variant, but it’s important to roll out more vaccinations and boosters to fight the new strain. She noted that Europe can now produce 300 million vaccine doses per month.
“We’re going to do everything possible to ensure that vaccination skepticism is overcome because the price that we’ll pay if people are not vaccinated continues to increase,” she told the European Parliament.
H.K.-China No-Quarantine Travel (4:05 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong will announce a quarantine-free travel plan with China as soon as Friday, local media outlet HK01 reported, citing politician Michael Tien. The daily quota will be around 3,000 people a day, more than the previously expected 1,000 people, the report added, citing Tien.
Poland Deaths at Highest Since April (3:57 p.m. HK)
Poland registered more than 660 Covid-19 deaths in last 24 hours, 17% more than a week ago and the highest daily toll in the current wave of the pandemic, government spokesman Piotr Muller said. Even as deaths reach the highest since mid-April, the ruling party is avoiding strict restrictions. The government is uncertain whether a plan to allow employers to ask workers for Covid tests will get backing in parliament.
Sinovac Shot Gives Little Omicron Shield (3:50 p.m. HK)
The vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., one of the most widely used in the world, doesn’t provide sufficient antibodies in two doses to neutralize the omicron variant and boosters will likely be needed to improve protection, initial lab findings showed.
While the first two studies to be released on the Chinese shot and omicron diverged on how much the vaccine’s immune response is degraded, they both indicated the standard two-dose course would not be enough, raising uncertainty over a shot relied on by millions of people in China and the developing world.
Germany Reveals Vaccine Shortage (2:47 p.m. HK)
Germany’s new health minister, Karl Lauterbach, said he’s in direct contact with manufacturers of vaccines to increase deliveries after an inventory revealed a shortage in supplies.
“We have a shortage of vaccine for the first quarter and I have already been working for several days to correct it,” Lauterbach, who took office last week, said late Tuesday in an interview with ARD television.
Sanofi, Glaxo Results Delayed (2:43 p.m. HK)
Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the pharma giants that stumbled in the race to develop a vaccine, said their experimental shot works as a booster but suffered yet another delay with the main clinical trial results.
The candidate raised the antibody levels of people who’d already received other Covid shots such as Pfizer Inc.’s and AstraZeneca Plc’s, the drugmakers said in a statement Wednesday. Yet crucial study results for the underlying vaccine were delayed to the first quarter.
Philippines Finds First Omicron Cases (1:40 p.m. HK)
The Philippines detected its first cases of the omicron variant, though the country is retaining its lenient restrictions on movement during the Christmas holidays.
The Department of Health detected omicron in a returning Filipino from Japan and a Nigerian national. They are isolating and their close contacts are being tracked. The entire nation including the capital Manila will be placed under Alert Level 2 from Dec. 16 to Dec. 31, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a televised briefing.
BofA’s Quarantine Compensation (11:25 a.m. HK)
Bank of America Corp. followed U.S. rivals by rolling out compensation plans for Hong Kong staff burdened by mandatory hotel quarantine costs, becoming the latest financial firm to help its employees navigate the city’s strict zero-Covid policy.
The U.S. bank joins JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley in rolling out compensation plans for Hong Kong staff. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is reimbursing employees across Asia-Pacific. A stay at Hong Kong’s designated quarantine hotel can cost between HK$500 ($64) to HK$3,630 a night for a non-suite room.
Google’s Reported Vaccine Threat (10:49 a.m. HK)
Google has threatened to reduce pay or even fire staff who fail to comply with internal policies on vaccinations, CNBC reported, citing internal documents.
The Alphabet Inc. unit warned employees they had till Dec. 3 to declare and prove their vaccination status, or apply for exemptions. Those who hadn’t complied by Jan. 18 will be placed on “paid administrative leave” for 30 days, CNBC said. They could then be put on unpaid leave for up to six months, before finally getting dismissed, it added.
China Cases Grow (9:45 a.m. HK)
China reported 50 local infections Wednesday as the outbreak swells in the eastern coastal region. Zhejiang, one of China’s biggest manufacturing hubs, detected 45 cases, with total infections standing at more than 200.
More than 576,000 people are in some degree of isolation, including more than 58,000 under centralized quarantine. With China sticking to its Covid-Zero strategy, Zhejiang province has carried out more than 10 million Covid tests among its 58 million inhabitants.
Sinovac Shot Gives No Omicron Shield (9:34 a.m. HK)
The vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. does not provide sufficient antibodies to neutralize the omicron variant, said Hong Kong researchers in initial lab findings that may have sweeping consequences for the millions of people relying on the Chinese shot.
Among a group of 25 people fully vaccinated with Sinovac’s shot, which is called Coronavac, none showed sufficient antibodies in their blood serum to neutralize the omicron variant, said a statement from a team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong.
Australian State’s Infection Warning (9:33 a.m. HK)
Cases in Australia’s most-populous state, New South Wales, could reach 25,000 a day by the end of January, based on the virus’ current reproduction rate of more than 1.5, said the state’s health minister, Brad Hazzard. The state recorded 1,360 cases on Wednesday and case numbers are doubling every two to three days, Hazzard told reporters.
Even so, New South Wales is eliminating a raft of restrictions as its vaccination rate climbs beyond 90%, the government said, in a reversal of its Covid-Zero strategy.
Korea to Tighten Virus Measures (7:48 a.m. HK)
South Korea will tighten social-distancing measures in the wake of the country’s worst infection resurgence, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Wednesday.
Details will be announced later, but Kim said the government will likely restrict restaurant and cafe operating hours and limit private gatherings. Despite a fully vaccinated rate of more than 80%, new cases surged to records after government eased restrictions in November. The daily virus tally is expected to hit fresh highs Wednesday, surpassing the prior record of nearly 7,200 cases.
Omicron Now 3% of Sequenced U.S. Cases (11:20 a.m. NY)
The omicron variant now makes up 3% of all sequenced Covid cases in the U.S., rising from less than 0.1% in early December, health officials said, a sign of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus version.
The highly mutated variant has now been detected in 33 U.S. states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an email. While the delta variant remains the dominant strain in the country, accounting for 96% of sequenced cases, omicron’s proportion is expected to increase, agency spokesperson Jasmine Reed said.
N.Y. Hospital Use Surges 70% (11:15 a.m. NY)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that hospitalizations across the state have surged by 70% since Thanksgiving, prompting her to institute a statewide indoor mask mandate for businesses without vaccine requirements.
“If I sound a little frustrated, perhaps I am,” Hochul said at a virus briefing on Tuesday in New York City. “Despite our desires to have this behind us, we aren’t quite there yet.” She said cases per 100,000 people have gone up 58% during that time, while vaccinations have increased by only 2%.
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