(Bloomberg) — Booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines increased protection against both the delta and omicron variants in three studies that looked at infections, hospital admissions and deaths in thousands of U.S. patients.
New York’s omicron outbreak is weakening, though not evenly throughout the state, and pressure on health-care facilities remains high, Governor Kathy Hochul said.
The City of London is going to get busy again. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has asked staff to start returning for at least some days a week from Feb. 1, while London staff at Deutsche Bank AG will be able to start coming back Jan. 31 and those at Barclays Plc from Monday.
In Asia, a rising number of infections in Hong Kong is unnerving authorities. Pet owners made efforts to save hamsters from the government’s cull.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 343.1 million; deaths pass 5.5 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.86 billion shots administered
- Europe eases pandemic curbs on omicron’s waning scare factor
- Deutsche Bank, Barclays to open London offices to more staff
- Netflix, Peloton bring the pandemic-stock era to shuddering halt
- A vaccine to prevent all Covid is within reach: Lisa Jarvis
N.Y. Deploys More National Guard (11:10 a.m. NY)
New York’s omicron outbreak is weakening, though not evenly throughout the state, and pressure on health-care facilities remains high, Governor Kathy Hochul said.
New cases reported Friday dropped to 28,296 from a high of more than 90,000 less than two weeks ago. The percent of positive cases statewide is 9.75%, in the single digits for the first time in weeks, Hochul said. The holiday surge peaked on Jan. 2 with 23% positivity, she said.
Meantime, the state is deploying 88 non-medical National Guard members to support staff at nine nursing homes in New York City, she said. The state will also send additional non-medically trained National Guard members statewide. They will join the 120 medically trained members that were previously sent to nursing homes, she said.
“This is still to be taken very seriously. We are not letting our foot off the pedal,” Hochul said at a press briefing.
Poland’s Walesa Ill With Covid (11:07 a.m. NY)
Poland’s former president and anti-communist dissident Lech Walesa has contracted Covid-19 and is feeling ill.
“I can’t feel my own body,” Walesa, 78, said on his Facebook account on Friday. “It feels like my flesh is being torn away from the bone.”
Walesa, 78, said he was triple vaccinated
Boosters Fight Delta and Omicron: Study (11 a.m. NY)
Booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines increased protection against both the delta and omicron variants in three studies that looked at infections, hospital admissions and deaths in thousands of U.S. patients.
Third doses of messenger RNA vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and the partnership of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE were at least 90% effective in preventing hospitalizations during both the delta and omicron periods, according to an analysis of hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and clinic visits. The shots’ protection against Covid deaths was diminished after omicron’s rise, but remained significant, according to a separate study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Omicron Case Outcomes (9:51 a.m. NY)
Among omicron cases with known outcomes in Europe, just 0.06% of the patients diagnosed with the variant died, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Friday. The ECDC said that 1.14% of the confirmed cases were hospitalized, and 0.16% required ICU support.
JPMorgan’s London Bankers to Return (9:12 a.m. NY)
JPMorgan Chase & Co. was among banks firming up return to office plans in London. It has asked staff to come back for at least some days a week from Feb. 1.
Deutsche Bank AG earlier told staff it will start bringing more of them back to their desks from the end of January. Barclays Plc staff have been told they can return to the office from Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Many staff have been working remotely since the U.K. government introduced guidance to do so in December. That was unwound on Wednesday. Separately, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he is standing down the “major incident” status over Covid-19 in London.
WHO Recommends Shot for Kids But Not Second Boosters (9:24 p.m. NY)
A World Health Organization panel recommended the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine for children aged 5 and older. The recommendation is for a reduced dosage, according to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, which met on Wednesday.
Separately, a panel is following the data emerging from a limited number of countries, especially Israel, on second boosters, but isn’t endorsing them due to lack of evidence.
“We have no evidence that is of settled science about giving a subsequent booster dose to a broader group of people,” said Kate O’Brien, who heads the WHO’s vaccination division.
Beijing Faces Growing Outbreak (6:18 a.m. NY)
China’s capital reported a growing Covid-19 cluster linked to imported frozen food and international mail, putting greater pressure on authorities to contain the spread two weeks before the start of the Winter Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, about 1.5% of athletes and others entering Beijing for the Winter Olympics are testing positive for Covid, with all of the infections caught within five days of arrival, the International Olympics Committee’s Covid-19 support team said.
Regulators Call for Multipurpose Shots (6:00 a.m. NY)
A group of health regulators from 24 WHO member states and 13 associate members called Friday for a public debate on how to develop new inoculations that can fight various strains rather than single variants. The group, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, said it’s not sustainable to keep giving multiple booster doses.
Hong Kong Locks Down Building (6:09 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong is locking down about 2,700 residents for five days, the first time it’s closed off an apartment building for more than 48 hours, in the hope of containing a superspreader event that has already led to at least 16 people testing positive for Covid.
Local cases, while comparatively low, are hitting levels not seen in nearly a year. There are several undetectable chains of transmission and the city’s top virus expert warned one set of infections — tied to hamsters — may contain a novel mutation, justifying an urgent containment effort that includes the culling of thousands of pets.
Singapore Eases Some Testing Rules (4:08 p.m. HK)
Singapore, anticipating a surge of the now-prevalent omicron variant in the country, is taking steps to minimize disruption by lowering isolation periods and easing testing requirements for vaccinated travelers.
In Malaysia, meanwhile, new coronavirus cases climbed to the highest level in a month ahead of the government’s plan to reduce the quarantine period for travelers.
Polish, Czech Cases (3:55 p.m. HK)
Poland had record 36,665 daily Covid infections over the last 24 hours, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska told PAP newswire, while the Czech Republic had 26,907 new cases in 24 hours through Thursday, more than double the number from a week ago, according to health care ministry data.
U.K. Retail Sales Plunged Before Christmas (3:37 p.m. HK)
The volume of goods sold in stores and online in the U.K. fell 3.7% in December from the prior month, as the spread of the omicron variant curbed the Christmas shopping season. That was the biggest drop since January 2020’s lockdown, the Office for National Statistics said. Economists had expected a decrease of 0.6%.
Ireland Set to Drop Most Curbs (3:30 p.m. HK)
Ireland is set to drop most pandemic restrictions, state broadcaster RTE reported. Government medical advisers proposed removing most curbs, including early closing times for bars and restaurants as well as the need for proof of vaccination to enter some businesses. Workers are likely to be allowed return to the office too.
Germany Doesn’t Need Tighter Curbs, Weil Says (2:55 p.m. HK)
Germany should stick with its current pandemic restrictions even as the omicron variant fuels record daily cases, according to Stephan Weil, the premier of the state of Lower Saxony.
“The infection numbers are significantly higher but at the same time hospitals are thankfully relatively less under pressure,” Weil said on ARD television ahead of Monday’s regular discussion of pandemic strategy between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany’s 16 federal state leaders.
Australia to Ease Curbs for Travelers: Report (2:40 p.m. HK)
Australia will ease its Covid testing requirements for travelers arriving from overseas, the Sydney Morning Herald reported without naming its sources. New arrivals will have the option of taking a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arrival rather than a PCR test as is currently required, the newspaper said. For people who catch Covid overseas, the wait to enter the country will be cut to seven days from 14.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is yet to make a final decision on the overhaul, according to the Herald.
Japan May Expand Quasi-Emergency Measures (10:10 a.m. HK)
Japan’s government may expand a state of quasi-emergency to eight more prefectures, covering 24 of the country’s 47 regions in total, the Yomiuri newspaper reported without attribution. The expansion would include Osaka and its vicinity.
An official decision on the measure, which allows local governments to place restrictions on businesses, will be made as early as Jan. 25, the newspaper said.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
