(Bloomberg) — Citigroup Inc. said staffers in the New York City metropolitan area could work from home again through the holidays if they are able, citing the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the region.
Almost half of workers in the City of London didn’t go to the office on Monday, the lowest since September. France is imposing tougher rules on people arriving from the U.K., including a requirement to self-isolate, to slow the spread of the omicron variant. The measures came as U.K. cases surged to a record for the second consecutive day.
AstraZeneca Plc’s antibody therapy retained neutralizing activity against omicron in lab testing, in a sign the treatment should still provide protection against the mutation.
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 272.4 million; deaths top 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.56 billion shots given
- ‘I was wrong’: Omicron wrecks CEOs’ plans for U.S. office return
- New York tourists shrug off surging cases to pack city’s hotels
- Half of U.S. states have big racial vaccine gaps one year in
- Omicron spoils Christmas — jury out whether it will wreck 2022
Citi Says NYC Staff Can Work From Home (12:02 p.m. NY)
Citigroup Inc. said staffers in the New York City metropolitan area could work from home again through the holidays if they are able, citing the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the region.
The move, which applies to offices in New York City and Jersey City, New Jersey, was aimed at protecting employees’ holiday plans and to thin out the number of workers coming into those facilities, according to a spokesperson. Citigroup already requires all staffers coming into those offices to be vaccinated.
U.K. Hits Record Cases Again (11:19 a.m. NY)
The U.K. reported 88,376 more Covid-19 cases, a record for the pandemic, according to government data. It was second consecutive day of record-breaking infections, underlining the high transmissibility of the omicron variant.
EU Backs Pfizer Pill for Adults (11:04 a.m. NY)
A European Union advisory committee said Pfizer Inc.’s experimental antiviral pill against Covid-19 can be used to treat adults, opening up another potential tool as the region prepares for the possibility of a wave of infections from the omicron variant.
The drug, Paxlovid, is still under review and hasn’t been formally authorized for sale.
Premier League Cancels More Matches (10:53 a.m. NY)
The English Premier League has postponed two further soccer matches amid a nationwide surge in omicron infections.
Manchester United’s Saturday game against Brighton & Hove Albion has been postponed as Man. United has an ongoing coronavirus outbreak within its team, the league said in a statement Thursday. Earlier today, the league said it had postponed tonight’s Leicester City FC game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Four more Real Madrid players and assistant coach Davide Ancelotti have tested positive for Covid-19, the Spanish soccer club said in a statement on its website, bringing the total number of detected cases to seven.
Regeneron Potency Wanes With Omicron (10:41 a.m. NY)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its antibody treatment has “diminished potency” versus omicron, but that other experimental antibodies in its portfolio are active against the variant.
The antibody cocktail remains active against delta, still the dominant mutation in the U.S., and other variants of concern, the Tarrytown, New York-based drugmaker said Thursday in an emailed statement.
City of London Workers Stay Home (10:36 a.m. NY)
The City of London has transformed from a raucous district with thousands of workers celebrating Christmas into a no-party zone in the space of a week.
Almost half of staff didn’t go to the office on Monday, the lowest since September, according to data compiled by Google, which tracks the location of its users. That came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to work from home where possible.
EU Leaders Urged to Require PCR Tests (9:53 a.m. NY)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is recommending that all travelers coming into the European Union be required to take PCR tests, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The EU has been trying to maintain its ability to coordinate travel rules even as member states hastily implement a variety of restrictions to combat the fast-spreading omicron variant. Many EU states already require PCR tests for certain categories of travelers.
Astra Antibody Drug (9:30 a.m. NY)
AstraZeneca’s antibody therapy, known as Evusheld, retained neutralizing activity against the omicron variant in lab testing.
The long-acting drug combination, which has been authorized for use in the U.S. for the prevention of Covid-19 in high-risk people, produced the same neutralizing antibody levels found in someone who has been previously infected with the virus, the company said in a statement Thursday.
Finland May Require Tests (9 a.m. NY)
Finland’s government will discuss later on Thursday whether passengers from European Union countries should be required to present a certificate of a negative test on arrival.
Choosing to do so would align the Nordic country with Italy and Greece in rejecting common rules for the bloc, as a response to fears about the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Portugal Travel Rules (8:10 a.m. NY)
Portugal is likely to extend a requirement for airline passengers to present a negative test upon entry, including those who are fully vaccinated, beyond Jan. 9, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said.
Portugal reported 5,800 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the most since February. The country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with almost 88% of the population fully vaccinated.
Denmark Approves Merck’s Covid Pill (8 a.m. NY)
Denmark has approved Merck’s pill for patients at risk of getting severe symptoms and illness from the virus.
Denmark’s Premier Mette Frederiksen has “no doubt” that new measures will be necessary ahead of Christmas to curb rising cases. The Nordic country registered 9,999 new cases on Thursday, and registered a total of 6,047 cases of the omicron variant on Wednesday, up from 4,535 the day before.
EU to Expedite Moderna Deliveries (7:50 a.m. NY)
The European Union said it reached a deal to expedite deliveries of the Moderna vaccine to countries like Germany that are experiencing temporary shortages.
Moderna agreed to accelerate delivery of 10 million doses to Germany in December, enough for 20 million boosters. The company will deliver 25 million extra doses to Germany in the first quarter of 2022.
Germany started rationing vaccines through the rest of the year as it seeks to keep a booster campaign going despite a sudden shortage of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
Germany Has Record Daily Shots (6:40 a.m. NY)
Germany administered a record 1.5 million Covid-19 shots on Wednesday, and at least 70% of the population is now fully vaccinated, according to data from the RKI public-health institute.
More than 85% of the doses were given as booster shots, the data showed.
Poland Has First Omicron Case (6:30 a.m. NY)
Poland confirmed first its omicron case. The person participated in the United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum last week that hosted 2,700 attendees from across the world.
While the Health Ministry said the person only had limited direct contact with other participants, there are concerns that the gathering may become a super-spreader event.
South Africa Avoids Tougher Curbs (6:48 p.m. HK)
South Africa will remain on virus alert level 1, the lowest, over the end-year festive season as it closely watches infections fueled by omicron.
It’s welcome news for the tourism industry that took a hit after several nations banned travel to South Africa. It also boosts efforts to help the economy recover after a contraction that was worse than expected in the third quarter.
The health minister’s remarks come as scientific reports show a lesser need for hospitalization.
France Restricts Travel From U.K. (5:35 p.m. HK)
France will reduce the validity of Covid-19 tests to 24 hours from 48 hours for visitors from the U.K. as part of measures set to take effect midnight Friday.
The rule will apply to all arrivals, including those who are fully vaccinated. People traveling to France from the U.K. will also have to self-isolate for seven days. This restriction can be lifted after 48 hours on proof of a negative test.
Justifications for coming to France will be limited, with all non-essential tourist and business travel to France to be barred. The French government called on people planning on visiting the U.K. to delay their trips.
Earlier, Sweden said it will ask travelers from other Nordic countries to show a vaccine certificate upon entering the country starting next Tuesday. From Dec. 21, the Swedish government will introduce requirements for proof of a vaccine upon entry from all European Economic Area countries. Existing Covid pass regulations in Sweden had excluded the Nordic region.
Singapore Eases Quarantine Rules (5:25 p.m. HK)
Hotel guests in Singapore who test positive will now be allowed to self-isolate in their rooms from Dec. 20 instead of having to stay in dedicated facilities, as the city-state continues to ease rules to woo back travelers.
Those who test positive or are identified as close contacts with those infected with the virus will be required to stay in their hotel rooms for 10 days if fully vaccinated, or 14 days otherwise. The revised protocol won’t apply to cases with the omicron variant, who will still have to stay in a designated facility.
Malaysia Requires Booster for Sinovac (3:20 p.m. HK)
Malaysia has ruled that Sinovac vaccine recipients need to take a booster shot by February to retain their fully vaccinated status and the privileges that come with it.
Thailand Set for 100 Million Shots (3:08 p.m. HK)
Thailand is on course to surpass its goal of administering 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines this year, boosting its defense against the omicron variant as it weighs further easing of curbs on tourists.
A total of 98.4 million shots were administered as of Thursday, with 61% of the nation’s 72 million population completing a two-dose regime, data from the Health Ministry showed. An estimated 4.4 million booster doses have been given as well after the government accelerated third doses in the wake of the discovery of the omicron strain.
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