(Bloomberg) — A record 10 million people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the seven days through Sunday, almost twice the pandemic’s previous weekly high, as omicron spreads across the globe. Weekly deaths continued to drop.
Russia reported the lowest number of cases since June, while Germany is weighing new measures in the face of rising infections. In Hong Kong, the pace of vaccinations picked up even as the city’s government denied rumors it will shut down borders or suspend dining-in at restaurants. China reported 101 new Covid cases, mostly in Xi’an, where some residents complained of a lack of access to food.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he tested positive for Covid and plans to quarantine at home for five days, attending meetings virtually when possible.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 290 million; deaths above 5.4 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.2 billion shots given
- Here’s (almost) everything Wall Street expects in 2022
- Asia manufacturing sustains momentum as omicron threat grows
- Gold rises to six-week high as virus risks boost demand
- What we know about the omicron variant now: QuickTake
Saudi Arabia Cases Rise (4:12 p.m. HK)
Saudi Arabia reported 1,746 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the most since July 2020, as officials warned of the potential for new restrictions.
The kingdom is seeing a surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant after a series of crowded public events held last month, including a music festival attended by over 700,000 people. Two new deaths were reported; around 66% of the population has received at least two vaccine doses.
Denmark Sees Jan Peak for Omicron (3:53 p.m. HK)
The Danish health body expects the surge in the omicron variant of the coronavirus to peak later this month, with fewer hospitalizations compared with earlier strains leading to an improvement by March, a senior health official told broadcaster TV2.
Patients with the omicron variant have as much as a 50% bigger chance of avoiding hospitalizations compared to patients with other variants, Tyra Grove Krause, a director of the Statens Serum Institut, was quoted as saying in an interview with the broadcaster on Monday, citing data from the U.K. and South Africa.
The Nordic nation, among the countries that do the most sequencing of positive tests, has seen some of the highest numbers of omicron cases since the new variant appeared toward the end of 2021.
Germany Weighs New Measures (3:42 p.m. HK)
Germany is contemplating further measures to contain Covid-19 as the omicron variant threatens to become the dominant strain in the country by mid-January.
When Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with state leaders on Friday to discuss the pandemic, the country could shorten quarantine times to prevent staff shortages in critical services like hospitals and police, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
“There are very many questions that need to be settled, and preparations are in full swing,” Lauterbach said late Sunday in an interview with RTL/ntv television.
Russia Reports Drop in Cases, Death (3:32 p.m. HK)
Russia registered the lowest number of cases since June. There were 16,343 new infections in the past day, according to the government’s reporting center. The number of deaths stood at 835, the lowest in since early October.
Singapore Warns Omicron Wave Imminent (3:12 p.m. HKT)
Omicron infections in the Southeast Asian nation have started to creep up, now making up around 17% of local cases and suggesting a wave of this variant is coming, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook posting on Monday.
At the same time, ICU numbers are the lowest in the last quarter and active local cases over the past week are a fraction of what they were at the peak, he said. All these signal the delta variant wave has subsided, at least for now, Ong added. He reiterated that vaccination and boosters remain the key response.
Indonesia Shortens Quarantine Period (2:55 p.m. HK)
Indonesia cut short the mandatory quarantine period for incoming travelers, bucking the trend in the rest of the region that’s tightening border rules to slow the spread of the omicron strain.
Those arriving from overseas will need to quarantine for at least seven days, from 10, while those coming in from countries with high Covid-19 infections must quarantine for 10 days, from 14 previously, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Panjaitan, who’s overseeing the pandemic response, said in a briefing on Monday.
Danish Doctors Won’t Use Merck Pill (2:50 p.m. HK)
Denmark’s doctors aren’t giving patients the 50,000 Covid-19 pills that the country has bought from Merck & Co., the Berlingske newspaper reported.
The Lagevrio pills aren’t being prescribed because there isn’t enough data to show their efficiency, the newspaper quoted Anders Beich, a spokesman for an industry group of Danish doctors, as saying.
Taiwan Reports First Local Omicron Cases (2:47 p.m. HK)
Taiwan reclassified two imported cases as local cases in a suspected cluster of infections at a quarantine hotel, according to a statement from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Taiwan has reported 88 omicron cases in total.
Weekly Cases Double Previous Record (1:50 p.m. HK)
Almost twice as many people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past seven days as the pandemic’s previous weekly record in late April.
The highly mutated and infectious variant drove cases to 10 million in the seven days through Sunday, up from a previous record of 5.7 million. The surging number comes at a time when many people have given up on testing or are using at-home kits with results that aren’t reported to local authorities.
Weekly Covid deaths are still on a downward trajectory, falling to their lowest level in more than a year.
Australia Secures More Sotrovimab (1:43 p.m. HK)
Australia secured an additional 46,000 doses of sotrovimab, used for mild to moderate cases of the virus, taking the national stockpile to 81,000, Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
Sotrovimab has a “79% effectiveness rate in reducing serious illness, hospitalization and loss of life,” Hunt told reporters. “It’s not for everybody. It’s based on clinical advice, but it’s one of the reasons that we are seeing significantly lower ventilation rates.”
Australia recorded its highest number of infections since the pandemic began, with more than 37,000 daily cases.
India Infections Five Times Higher (1:12 p.m. HK)
India added 33,750 new infections Monday, more than five times the cases it reported a week ago, pointing to a new virus wave building in the country.
The South Asian nation, which has confirmed almost 35 million cases in total, reported 123 more deaths Monday, taking the total tally of Covid-related fatalities to 481,893. India will start vaccinating 15-18 year-olds Monday. The country has administered about 1.46 billion doses overall.
Pakistan Facing New Covid Wave (12:55 p.m. HK)
Pakistan reported 3,520 coronavirus cases in week ended Jan. 2, the highest in two months, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
There is now clear evidence of the start of another Covid wave, which has been expected for a few weeks, particularly in Karachi, Asad Umar, the minister overseeing the nation’s Covid-19 response, wrote on Twitter.
More Flight Cancellations, Led by China (12:05 p.m. HK)
About 3,700 domestic and international flights in the Asia-Pacific region were canceled over the weekend, and a further 970 are expected to be dropped Monday, according to the tracking firm FlightAware.com. China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Spring Airlines had the most cancellations.
Globally, more than 9,100 flights were canceled over the weekend.
Food Supply Complaints in Xi’an (11:32 a.m. HK)
Some local residents in Xi’an, the epicenter of China’s current outbreak, complained on social media about a lack of access to food supplies during lockdown, as well as government efforts to censor their grievances.
Two virus control officers in the city were fined and put in detention for seven days for beating a man who had gone out grocery shopping on Friday, according to local media, citing a police statement.
China reported 101 positive Covid cases for Sunday, 90 of which were in Xi’an.
Restrictions for Unvaccinated in Manila (11:10 a.m. HK)
The Philippine capital region’s mayors agreed to pass ordinances to forbid unvaccinated people from leaving home except for buying essential goods, and to bar them from entering malls and restaurants.
The curbs will be put in place to avoid overwhelming hospitals and to allow the economy to remain open as cases rise, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr said during a televised briefing. The capital region accounts for a third of the nation’s economic output.
Hong Kong Vaccinations Pick Up (10:28 a.m. HK)
Hong Kong administered over 7,000 initial injections on both Saturday and Sunday, the most since the end of November, as more citizens signed up for vaccinations following the discovery of a cluster of infections at a restaurant.
The number of people getting their first shots was surpassed by those getting boosters as access expanded to all adults on Jan. 1, with some 8,000 and 10,600 given on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Hong Kong is set to launch an expanded vaccine mandate that will require an inoculation in order to patronize restaurants, gyms and cinemas later this month. The government denied rumors it will shut down borders from midnight or suspend dining-in at restaurants starting Monday evening, according to official statement.
‘Mrs Doubtfire’ to Close on Broadway for Weeks (9:23 a.m. HK)
The producer of a new musical adaptation of “Mrs. Doubtfire” has decided to close down the show for nine weeks, saying he sees no other way to save the production, the New York Times reported.
Kevin McCollum said he would close the musical comedy on Jan. 10, with a plan to reopen on March 14. The move will cost 115 people their jobs for that period, and McCollum said he is committed to rehiring those who want to return, according to the report.
U.S. Defense Secretary Tests Positive (8:54 a.m. HK)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he tested positive for Covid and plans to quarantine at home for the next five days, attending meetings virtually when possible.
Austin said he last met with Biden on Dec. 21, more than a week before he began to experience symptoms. The last time he was in the Pentagon was Dec. 30, where he said he only met briefly with a few members of staff while everyone was masked and socially distanced.
The defense secretary is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot in early October.
Adams Urges NYC Students to Classrooms (3:28 p.m. NY)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged parents to “put your children in school” when the U.S.’s largest school system reopens Monday after the holiday, despite a third of Covid tests coming back positive across the city and no requirement to test before attending classes.
Adams said he thinks tests should be required but he didn’t have authority to mandate them. That rests with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who is encouraging testing but not requiring it. Other cities, including Washington, D.C., are requiring proof of a negative test to re-enter school buildings.
Israel Expands Eligibility for Fourth Dose (1:37 p.m. NY)
Israel will start offering a fourth vaccine dose to people older than 60 as the omicron strain has caused a surge in new cases in the country.
The fourth dose will also be made available to medical staff for whom at least four months have passed since their last jab, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a press conference on Sunday. Last week, Israel approved the extra shot for people who are immunocompromised, as well as residents of nursing homes, and patients at geriatric hospitals.
Israel expects new coronavirus cases to climb to tens of thousands per day soon, Bennett said at the opening of a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Fauci Says Testing May Be Added to Isolation Rule (1:02 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is considering adding a negative test to recommendations on a shortened isolation period for people with asymptomatic infections, Biden’s chief medical adviser said on ABC’s “This Week.”
U.S. health officials have cut the recommended isolation time to five days from 10 after after a positive test. Anthony Fauci acknowledged “pushback” to the shortened span without any further test that might indicate if a person is still infected.
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