(Bloomberg) — From Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron, Europe’s leaders are increasingly going after anti-vaxxers as the battle against the omicron variant deepens the region’s pandemic fatigue. Officials are focusing restrictions on unvaccinated people rather than resorting to widespread clampdowns.
Australia reported more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time in a single day, as a backlog of home test results were included in the tally and states began reintroducing restrictions to help hospitals hit by the fast-spreading omicron variant. The country canceled the visa of visiting tennis star Novak Djokovic, who is appealing the decision on the grounds he already had Covid three weeks ago.
Hong Kong ordered many of its own officials to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure, amid a scandal over a large birthday party they attended despite government warnings. The city’s latest round of curbs may be extended by another week. In the U.K., an expert panel advised the government that a fourth round of vaccinations is not yet needed.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 303 million; deaths about 5.48 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.39 billion shots administered
- NYC return plans on hold as Schwarzman cancels birthday bash
- Here’s a roundup of what’s been delayed in Hollywood
- Getting Home to Singapore Is Good Enough, For Now: Daniel Moss
- Hong Kong is at a Covid-19 tipping point
Fourth Vaccine Not Needed Yet, U.K. Says (6:12pm HK)
A fourth Covid-19 vaccine is not yet needed in Britain as booster shots are still providing a high protection against severe disease from the fast-spreading omicron variant, the U.K vaccine panel said.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended the government prioritizes the third vaccine for adults, rather than begin a new vaccine drive for the vulnerable, after new data shows booster doses are working.
Protection against hospitalization for over-65’s remains at 90% three months after the third vaccine, according to data from the U.K. Health Security Agency. Protection against severe disease from two vaccine doses drops to 70% after three months and 50% after six months, the agency said.
Okinawa Cases Surpass Record (4:42pm HK)
Japan’s Okinawa prefecture reported 1,759 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, surpassing Friday’s record, according to NHK. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday that measures to curb the virus spread would be introduced in Okinawa, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi and stay in place for several weeks.
Tennis Star Djokovic Had Covid Already (4pm HK)
Tennis player Novak Djokovic had a vaccine exemption to enter Australia due to a positive Covid-19 test on Dec. 16, the BBC reported on Saturday, citing court documents filed by his lawyers.
The Serbian has been held by authorities since Jan. 5 when he landed in Melbourne, where he’s seeking a record 21st Grand Slam victory. He will remain in detention following a court decision to adjourn his appeal to a visa cancellation. The proceedings will resume Monday.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said on Friday Djokovic “is not being held captive” and is “free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so and Border Force will actually facilitate that.”
Vaccine Skeptics Slammed Across Europe (3:24 p.m. HK)
From Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron, Europe’s leaders are increasingly going after anti-vaxxers as the battle against the fast-spreading omicron variant deepens the region’s pandemic fatigue.
Amid a seemingly unstoppable surge in infections, officials are focusing restrictions on unvaccinated people rather than resorting to widespread clampdowns. The strong overall uptake in inoculations has emboldened leaders to go more aggressively after holdouts, prodding them to roll up their sleeves.
French President Macron took the rhetoric to a new level this week when he said his government’s strategy was to “p— off” those who have refused shots. In the U.K., Johnson accused anti-vaxxers of spreading “nonsense.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who supports making shots compulsory, has labeled the anti-vax movement “a tiny minority of reckless extremists.”
Germany’s seven-day incidence rate climbed to 335.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest since Dec. 16, according to Robert Koch Institute data Saturday. That compares with the nation’s pandemic record high of 452.4 reached on Nov. 29. Reported new deaths associated with the virus rose by 268.
Thailand Junks Quarantine-Free Visas (3 p.m HK)
Thailand indefinitely suspended a quarantine-free visa program for vaccinated visitors and ordered a ban on the sale of alcohol at restaurants in areas deemed at high risk of infections to curb the spread of the omicron variant.
The nation’s main virus task force spared Bangkok, Phuket and six other tourist destinations from harsh containment measures, but banned alcohol consumption at restaurants and other commercial establishments after 9 p.m, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the task force, said at a briefing on Friday. Overseas visitors already holding valid visas for the quarantine waiver would still be able to enter the country, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement Saturday.
Travelers who had already received approvals under the government’s ‘Test and Go’ program may still enter the country with their approved length of stay, Thanakorn said, reversing a Friday announcement that set an entry deadline of Jan. 15. The government will closely monitor the situation and consider the number of cases and risk factors in adjusting measures, Thanakorn added.
The Southeast Asian nation reported 8,263 new infections on Saturday, the highest single-day tally since Oct. 31, and a fifth straight day of increase. Daily cases have jumped in the last week after falling to a six-month low before Christmas. Health officials have warned that cases may rise rapidly following the New Year celebrations and community spread of the omicron strain.
Philippines May Tighten Curbs as Cases Surge (2:45 p.m. HK)
The Philippines’ positive rate for Covid-19 reached a record 43.7% on Saturday, indicating that a little over two in five people tested for the virus actually have it, as the latest outbreak spreads. The health department reported 26,458 new confirmed infections and 265 deaths.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the government may further tighten movement restrictions in the capital region to the second-highest alert level as cases rise, particularly among healthcare workers, GMA News Online reported.
India Reports Over 100,000 Daily Cases (12:30 p.m. HK)
India’s health ministry reported more than 100,000 new cases for a second consecutive day, with the daily surge starting to look similar to levels in June. The country has announced mandatory home quarantine for anyone arriving in the country regardless of their test results and country of origin.
As the nation tries to avoid another deadly jump in virus infections, a number of states are taking measures to curb public gatherings that include bans on night travel and limits on gymnasiums and cinema hall operations. Local authorities in India are so far in favor of not opting for a complete shut down. Mumbai, India’s financial capital, reported nearly 21,000 new cases on Friday.
California Activates National Guard for Tests (11:35 a.m. HK)
Governor Gavin Newsom said he has activated the California National Guard to add testing facilities and capacity with the surge in cases. That will add to the existing 6,000 testing sites across the state, extended hours for these locations and the 9.6 million tests that the state has distributed to schools since early December. Omicron accounts for at least 80% of cases in the Golden State. More than 200 guard members are expected to be immediately deployed.
Australia’s Daily Infections Top 100,000 (10:46 a.m. HK)
Australia reported more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time in a single day, as a backlog of home test results were included in the tally and states began reintroducing restrictions to help hospitals hit by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Cases more than doubled in Victoria state to 51,356 on Saturday, as officials started counting results from rapid tests for the first time. Some 26,428 of the positive results came from the newly admitted tests, which were taken over the past week, according to Health Minister Martin Foley.
Nationwide, Australia recorded 116,025 new cases, including another 45,098 in New South Wales, where 1,795 people are hospitalized. The virus took nine lives in the state and in Victoria. The surge comes as states including Victoria and New South Wales moved to suspend non-urgent surgeries and implemented new limitations on socializing.
Colorado to Ration Care as Crews Fall Sick (10:45 a.m. HK)
Colorado authorized emergency medical services to ration care as ambulance crews fall ill with Covid-19. Under so-called crisis standards of care, ambulance dispatchers will screen calls to determine if immediate care is needed, Eric France, the state’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.
One-in-four members of the public tested for Covid-19 in Colorado have been receiving positive results and the omicron variant is the primary suspect in most cases. “With increasing demands on hospitals and EMS, we need to make sure we can provide care to anyone who needs it immediately,” France said.
Hong Kong May Extend Virus Measures (10:40 a.m. HK)
Hong Kong may need to extend its latest round of virus-control curbs by another week if the community spread of omicron cases can’t be contained in time, David Hui, a respiratory medicine professor and member of the city’s Covid advisory panel, said on a radio program Saturday.
Officials on Wednesday imposed two weeks of new measures including banning dining-in after 6 p.m., shutting venues such as bars and gyms and halting flights from eight countries including the U.S. and U.K. An extension of the policy could further threaten the city’s retail and consumer industries before the Lunar New Year in early February, traditionally a peak spending season.
The situation in the city is severe and the health care system is at risk of breaking down, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said on the same program, as more people are being sent to hospital isolation wards or quarantine facilities following an outbreak linked to a birthday party attended by over 180 people including dozens of officials and lawmakers.
Hong Kong Officials Sent to Quarantine (10:01 a.m. HK)
More than two dozen Hong Kong officials have been ordered to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure, as a scandal over a large birthday party they attended despite the government’s own pandemic warnings widened.
All of the more than 180 guests at a celebration thrown for a representative for a mainland Chinese agency were being sent to the government quarantine camp in Penny’s Bay, health official Chuang Shuk-kwan said at a press briefing Friday. Some of Hong Kong’s most senior politicians and more than 20% of its new “patriots-only” legislature will be confined to 200-square-foot (20-square-meter) rooms with no wifi access, just as the government fights an outbreak of the infectious omicron variant.
Hong Kong at Covid-19 Tipping Point (7:48 a.m. HK)
Hong Kong, a once-vibrant gateway to China, sacrificed its status as an international hub to “Covid Zero,” its strategy for eliminating the virus by isolating itself from a world awash in the pathogen. It worked for nearly a year, keeping residents safe and largely unfettered while raising the tantalizing possibility of reopening the border with China, the city’s economic lifeblood.
Now it’s living with the worst of both worlds, after a couple of imported infections caused by the highly transmissible omicron variant started spreading in city, triggering renewed curbs. Residents can no longer go to the gym or the cinema, and the once-ubiquitous banquets where people gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year were canceled for another year.
Finland Rejects Remote-Only School (4:23 p.m. NY)
Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s cabinet said students in Finland should return to classrooms for in-person learning, overruling a Health Ministry proposal for remote learning as many schools prepare to reopen next week after a holiday.
Mask-wearing requirements will be broadened and kids will be given two home tests a week as soon as possible to limit the spread of Covid-19 in schools, Krista Kiuru, the government minister in charge of the pandemic response, told reporters on Friday.
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