(Bloomberg) — Citigroup Inc. told staffers in the New York City metropolitan area to work from home again through the holidays if they are able, citing the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the region.
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 are introduced after new daily cases in the U.K. rose to a record.
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 272.3 million; deaths top 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.56 billion shots given
- Long Covid patients face fatigue, poor sleep even after one year
- Omicron spoils Christmas — jury out whether it will wreck 2022
Citi Tells N.Y., N.J. Staff to Work at Home (10:11 a.m. NY)
Citigroup Inc. told staffers in the New York City metropolitan area to work from home again through the holidays if they are able, citing the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the region.
The recommendation, 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.
New York, one of the states hit hardest in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again contending with rising cases.
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 Covid-19 test upon 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.
Resurgent Virus Dents Euro Area Activity (5:00 p.m. HK)
Euro-area economic activity slowed as rising coronavirus cases hurt service providers to offset an improvement in manufacturing output. Inflation pressure eased a little.
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.
Omicron Protection (2:24 p.m. HK)
A two-dose course of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 shot as well as a previous infection with the disease may give stronger protection against the omicron variant, scientists from the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa said.
Laboratory experiments with blood plasma led them to estimate that there would be 73% protection against symptomatic disease from omicron and 95% against severe infections for those who had been vaccinated and previously infected, the scientists said in a preprint released on Wednesday. A preprint has not been peer reviewed.
New Zealand Has First Case of Omicron (11:57 a.m. HK)
New Zealand reported its first case of omicron in a managed isolation in Christchurch. The person arrived on a flight from Germany to Auckland, then traveled to Christchurch on a chartered flight.
Separately, New Zealand has provisionally approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11. The government said earlier that 90% of people aged 12 and over are now fully vaccinated.
Australian State Has Record Cases (11:01 a.m. HK)
New South Wales, Australia’s most-populous state, reported a daily record of 1,742 Covid-19 cases Thursday, as the government loosens long-running restrictions ahead of the summer holiday period.
The state government removed restrictions on unvaccinated people and cut the number of places where masks are necessary. The state’s vaccination rate for people 16 and over is 94.8%.
New China Cluster (9:42 a.m. HK)
China reported 70 domestic infections on Thursday. While most of the cases were part of the ongoing flareup across three cities in eastern Zhejiang province, a new cluster is forming in the southern province of Guangdong.
Six new cases are in Dongguan city and an asymptomatic one in the nearby provincial capital Guangzhou. Authorities have started mass testing and placed movement restrictions on some neighborhoods.
The province also reported China’s second omicron case among those traveling from aboard.
South Korea Cuts Business Hours (9:31 a.m. HK)
South Korea will ban gatherings of five or more people and order eateries and night-time entertainment businesses to close by 9 p.m. as it steps up curbs to fight a record surge in coronavirus cases.
The country will put in place the new social distancing rules from Saturday that run until Jan. 2. Most cases in the recent surge have been linked to people gathering at restaurants, bars and shopping malls. South Korea hit a daily record 7,850 new cases Wednesday.
Morgan Stanley’s Work From Home (8:04 a.m. HK)
Morgan Stanley has told its New York brokers and wealth management staff to work from home at least until the first week of January, Fox Business’s Charles Gasparino reports in tweet.
Apple Delays Return to Office (5 p.m. NY)
Apple Inc. is delaying its return to the office indefinitely, a response to a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.
The company’s corporate employees will return to offices at a “date yet to be determined,” according to a memo sent by Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Wednesday. The date had been set for Feb. 1.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
