(Bloomberg) — South Africa, where the omicron variant was first identified, saw daily coronavirus infections drop 44% to the lowest in two weeks. Daily hospital admissions and deaths rose.
President Joe Biden will send 500 million free coronavirus tests to Americans’ homes beginning next month and dispatch the military to shore up overwhelmed hospitals. The new variant accounted for 73% of all Covid-19 infections in the U.S. last week, with almost all of the remaining cases being delta.
Thailand halted its quarantine-free entry program after less than two months, citing concern about the potential spread of omicron by arriving tourists. The suspension will remain in place until Jan. 4, when the policy will be reassessed.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 275 million; deaths top 5.36 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.75 billion shots given
- Omicron cancellations starting to pile up: here’s a short list
- Omicron upends the world’s return to the office
- All you need to know about rapid test kits
- What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake
Israel Approves Travel Ban on U.S., Canada (7:20 a.m. NY)
Israel’s parliamentary law committee gave its final approval to add the U.S., Canada and eight other countries to a list of banned travel destinations due to the spread of the omicron variant. The decision is to take effect at midnight Tuesday.
Europe’s Undeterred City Traffic (6:21 a.m. NY)
Omicron hasn’t yet curbed road traffic in some of Europe’s biggest cities, with congestion in 15 of the continent’s capitals rising to its highest in almost three months last week, according to TomTom NV data compiled by Bloomberg. Congestion was on average 9% higher than 2019 levels, the strongest reading since early October.
Covid Shaves Nine Months Off Lifespan (6:31 p.m. HK)
The coronavirus pandemic is seen cutting life expectancy in the U.K. by nine months, Royal Bank of Canada analysts said, helping to reverse trends of longevity.
“There may be continued waves of Covid, and poorer health due to long Covid,” they wrote in a note to clients. “There may be second-order effects such as delayed diagnoses and treatment of other conditions, and the impact of the economic slowdown may be detrimental.”
Romanians Protest Covid Passes (6:23 p.m. HK)
About 1,000 people protested in front of Romania’s parliament on Tuesday, with some trying to enter the building forcefully and demanding that lawmakers don’t approve the use of a Covid health pass in the workplace, according to local Digi24 television.
Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the European Union and the new ruling coalition is considering ways to extend the use of the Covid health pass, currently required in shopping malls, restaurants and public events.
U.S. to Give Out Free Tests (6 p.m. HK)
President Joe Biden will send 500 million free coronavirus tests to American homes beginning next month and dispatch the military to shore up overwhelmed hospitals as the U.S. confronts a resurgent pandemic.
Biden will announce new measures to try to curb the virus on Tuesday, the day after the CDC said the omicron variant now accounts for most new U.S. cases. He aims to boost testing, hospital care and vaccinations without any new lockdowns or closings.
Biden will also deliver a warning to the unvaccinated, a senior administration official said, telling them they risk serious disease or death, while assuring Americans who’ve gotten their shots that they can safely gather with their families over the holidays.
Elsewhere, Greece will also distribute free self-tests to all citizens during the holiday season, in an attempt to balance not bringing the economy to a halt with not risking having to pay a later price for holiday festivities, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.
Man Dies in U.S. After Omicron Infection (5:55 p.m. HK)
An unvaccinated man in his 50s died in Texas after contracting the omicron strain of Covid-19, local officials said.
The man is one of the first –- if not the first –- person to die from the highly-mutated strain of the pathogen in the U.S. He had underlying health conditions that put him at increased risk, despite surviving an earlier bout of Covid, according to a release from Harris County Public Health.
Anna press conference, county Judge Lina Hidalgo urged residents to get vaccinations and boosters.
Astra Booster Shot Needed for Protection (5:29 p.m. HK)
Protection from severe illness following two shots of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine starts declining about three months after the second dose, according to a study that reinforces the need for boosters. The study didn’t analyze Astra’s shot against the fast-spreading omicron variant, which wasn’t circulating at the time.
“We found waning vaccine protection against Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths both in Scotland and Brazil,” researchers said in the study, published in The Lancet on Monday.
Thailand Halts Quarantine-Free Entry (5:13 p.m. HK)
Thailand is suspending its quarantine-free entry program until Jan. 4 amid rising imported cases of the new virus strain.
The tourism-dependent country waived the requirement for more than 60 jurisdictions last month provided travelers were fully vaccinated and had negative tests for the virus both before and immediately after arrival in the country.
Hong Kong’s Vaccine Requirements for Staff (3:37 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong will require government employees to present their Covid-19 vaccination record when they enter government buildings and offices for work-related purposes from mid-February.
Those unfit to receive a vaccine due to medical conditions supported by a valid medical certificate can test every three days in lieu of vaccination.
Spain’s Catalonia Adds Restrictions (3:33 p.m. HK)
Spain’s Catalonia regional government on Monday night announced restrictions to stem the spread of omicron, including limiting the size of meetings to 10 people.
The rules, to be in force for an initial 15 days, also include limiting interior restaurant capacity to 50%, and 70% for stores, gyms and cultural spaces. It also plans a curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. The restrictions will take effect from Friday.
France, Germany Push Back on Lockdown (3:32 p.m. HK)
France sees no need for a lockdown or more Covid restrictions at the moment even as countries like the Netherlands preemptively put more curbs in place, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said. He said limits have been announced on gatherings during Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, and the government will monitor the situation.
In Germany, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann struck a similar tone. He said the country can currently do without a strict lockdown, and is relying on accelerating booster shots and limiting social contact. “The situation remains serious, I don’t want to pretend otherwise, but the infection numbers are clearly falling,” Buschmann said on Deutschlandfunk radio.
Clusters at Hotels in Taiwan (2:50 p.m. HK)
Local governments aim to complete comprehensive checks on quarantine hotels by Jan. 3 with a focus on air-conditioners, after two cluster infections were found at quarantine hotels recently, according to a statement from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
The government will establish detection and response mechanism for suspected cluster infection at quarantine hotels. Seven imported cases of Covid-19 were reclassified as local cases earlier due to infections at quarantine hotels.
Australian Modeling Points to Crisis (2:23 p.m. HK)
Omicron cases are set to overwhelm Australia’s health system unless restrictions like density and visitor limits are reintroduced, according to modeling prepared for a Wednesday meeting of state, territory and federal leaders, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Doherty Institute modeling also recommends bringing forward booster shots, suggesting that cases could hit 200,000 a day from late January or early February, unless restrictions are brought back, according to the report. Hospitalizations could jump to 4,000 a day, with 8,000-10,000 patients in intensive care.
Minimal public health safety measures and a rapid booster program may enable control of the outbreak by the end of March, the newspaper said.
Mixed Signals in South Africa (11:56 a.m. HK)
South African new Covid-19 infections almost halved to 8,515 from a day earlier, though hospital admissions and deaths over the same period rose significantly, according to a report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Singapore’s Omicron Cluster (11:31 a.m. HK)
Singapore reported its first suspected local omicron cluster, a group of three Covid-19 infections traced to a gym, the health ministry said in a statement late Monday.
The potential within the community is likely to prompt further concerns about new reversals in the city-state’s reopening as its worst virus surge yet subsides. Singapore maintains vaccinated travel lanes with several countries where omicron has spread rapidly, including the U.S. and Europe’s largest travel hubs.
The city-state also announced that bookings for vaccination appointments for kids age 11 and under will start tomorrow.
China’s Outbreak Creeps Higher (11:15 a.m. HK)
China’s local Covid-19 outbreak is growing, with the epicenter now in the central city of Xi’An, which had 42 cases on Tuesday, according to the National Health Commission. Only eight cases were found in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, which had previously detected over 300 cases.
With the winter Olympics about two months away, Beijing has temporarily suspended road passenger transportation to the city for people who traveled from cities or counties with one or more cases within 14 days, a transport ministry official said at a press conference on Monday.
Ice Hockey Shutdown (11:10 a.m. HK)
The NHL will start a league-wide shutdown Wednesday through Saturday after an increase of positive virus cases among players, the AP reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of discussions. Five more games will be postponed because of the move to begin the annual holiday break two days early, according to the report.
N.Z. Delays Border Reopening (9:24 a.m. HK)
New Zealand is pushing back the phased reopening of its border until the end of February due to the threat of the omicron variant.
“Waiting till the end of February will increase New Zealand’s overall protection and slow omicron’s eventual spread,” Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Tuesday in Wellington.
Previously, the government said vaccinated New Zealand citizens could return from Australia without undergoing managed isolation from Jan. 17. Hipkins said the rapid spread of omicron, particularly in Australia, has forced a rethink.
Australia Won’t Lockdown (9:20 a.m. HK)
Australia’s Prime Minister reiterated that the country is not going back to lockdowns despite surging case numbers, instead calling for individuals to take personal responsibility for their health by getting vaccinated and taking precautions like wearing a mask.
“We’re not going back to lock downs. We’re not going back to shutting down peoples’ lives,” Scott Morrison told reporters Tuesday. “We’re going forward to live with this virus with common sense and responsibility.”
The country’s most populous state, New South Wales, reported a record 3,057 new cases on Tuesday, with 284 people in hospital and 39 in intensive care. In the second-biggest state, Victoria, cases remained relatively steady at 1,245, with 329 people hospitalized and 73 active ICU cases.
Broadway Show Closed (9:17 a.m. HK)
The rapidly-spreading omicron variant has now closed its first Broadway show. “Jagged Little Pill,” a musical based on the songs of Alanis Morissette, ended performances on Saturday and will not reopen, the New York Times reported.
Other New York musicals including “Hamilton” have had to cancel individual performances, while NBC’s Saturday Night Live broadcast its most recent show with a limited cast and crew and no audience.
Omicron Hits U.S. Military in Okinawa (9:11 a.m. HK)
The governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture wants American military personnel banned from leaving Camp Hansen after an outbreak of the omicron variant on the base, the Okinawa Times reported.
Governor Denny Tamaki will speak to Japan’s vice minister of foreign affairs and to the commander of marine forces in Japan about the matter by phone on Tuesday, the newspaper said. There have been more than 180 cases reported on the base and four omicron infections detected in the wider community.
Omicron Troubles for Sinopharm (8:44 a.m. HK)
Sinopharm’s Covid-19 booster shot generated “significantly lower” levels of antibodies against the omicron variant, in a study offering further clues on how one of the world’s most widely used vaccines stands up against the new strain.
A study of 292 healthcare workers given a booster eight to nine months after their second dose found that omicron caused a 20.1-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies, compared with the performance against the original Wuhan strain.
The findings, which have yet to be peer-reviewed, will fuel concerns that the inactivated vaccine from the Chinese developer may offer inadequate protection against omicron infection even after a third dose, at a time when many countries are rolling out booster campaigns.
Missouri Blocks Contractor Vaccine Mandate (8:41 a.m. HK)
A federal court in Missouri blocked the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for government contractors in 10 states, becoming the latest to grant an injunction as part of a series of challenges to the president’s power to set workplace requirements via executive order.
The ruling will apply to contractors in Arkansas, Alaska, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
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