(Bloomberg) — Austria will end a lockdown for unvaccinated people next week as the latest wave of Covid-19 infections isn’t overwhelming hospitals.
Hong Kong’s zero-tolerance approach could keep the Asian financial hub cut off from most of the world until 2024, according to a report. France, South Korea and Germany posted record case numbers.
BioNTech SE plans a 50% boost in staff at its biggest German factory this year as the omicron variant drives demand for boosters of the vaccine it developed with Pfizer Inc.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 358 million; deaths pass 5.6 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.99 billion shots administered
- Deaths months after Covid point to pandemic’s grim aftermath
- Almost half the world trails IMF vaccine targets to end pandemic
- Fading omicron risk to favor travel retail in 2022, not delivery
- What We Know About the Omicron Variant Now: QuickTake
Scientists Identify Long Covid Factors (6:05 a.m. NY)
Scientists seeking to find out which patients are most at risk of developing long Covid offered partial answers in a study.
People who have circulating fragments of the coronavirus, specific antibodies directed against their own tissues or organs — known as auto-antibodies — and a resurgence of the Epstein-Barr virus appear more at risk, researchers said in an article in the scientific journal Cell.
The team of more than 50 researchers found some markers that could be identified early and appeared to correlate with lasting symptoms, regardless of whether the initial infection was severe.
Poland Moves to Remote Schooling (6:26 p.m. HK)
Poland reported a record 53,420 new cases and the government ordered remote schooling for older grades in primary schools and all high schools till end of February. The parliament plans to discuss draft regulations allowing companies to check vaccination status of their employees.
Austria to End Lockdown for Unvaccinated (6:15 p.m. HK)
Austria will end a lockdown for unvaccinated people from Jan. 31 after the rate of infected people requiring hospitalization remained low during the latest wave of the pandemic.
The easing measure, announced by Chancellor Karl Nehammer, coincides with the introduction of mandatory vaccinations next month, with fines on dissenters beginning in mid-March.
BioNTech to Boost Staff at German Factory (5:41 p.m. HK)
BioNTech SE plans a 50% boost in staff at its biggest German factory this year as the omicron wave drives demand for boosters.
BioNTech will add some 250 jobs this year at the factory in Marburg, north of Frankfurt, the company said. Already one of the biggest messenger RNA vaccine factories in the world, the Marburg site has supplied more than 1.2 billion doses of the Covid vaccine BioNTech sells together with Pfizer Inc.
Most Who Get Covid in U.K. Had Virus Already (5:36 p.m. HK)
About two-thirds of the participants in a large U.K. study who tested positive this month reported a previous infection with the virus, researchers found.
Another 7.5% said they suspected they’d had an earlier case, according to the React-1 study led by Imperial College London. Researchers looked at infections among some 100,000 volunteers from Jan. 5 to Jan. 20.
Hungary, Romania See Cases Surge (5:05 p.m. HK)
Romania’s cases almost doubled in the past 24 hours, reaching the highest level since the start of the pandemic of over 34,000 new infections.
Hungary’s cases topped 20,000 for the first time, fueled by the omicron variant. Hospitalizations increased but remained below earlier waves.
Omicron Subvariant Is Still Minority (2:41 p.m. HK)
While several countries are reporting increases in the omicron subvariant BA.2, the main BA.1 variant still represents 98.8% of the genetic sequences collected and submitted to the international GISAID database, the World Health Organization said in its weekly Covid report. The WHO said it’s continuing to monitor all subvariants of omicron.
China’s Vaccine May Fall Short (2:36 p.m. HK)
A vaccine being developed in China using messenger RNA, the new technology that has become the backbone for immunizing much of the world, may fall short of the benefits generated by shots from Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. The first published study of the experimental vaccine from Walvax Biotechnology Co., Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co.and the Chinese military generated twice the level of neutralizing antibodies seen in people who had recovered from a Covid-19 infection, though only at an intermediate dose. People given slightly more or slightly less produced fewer of the protective antibodies than those who recovered from an earlier infection, the study found.
Taiwan Adds 46 Local Cases (2:31 p.m. HK)
Taiwan reported 46 local cases and as many imported cases on Wednesday, according to its Centers for Disease Control. Askey Computer Corp., an affiliate of Asustek Computer Inc., is continuing its production halt after reporting new cases, health minister Chen Shih-chung said.
Japan Booster Shot Target (1:46 p.m. HK)
Japan is set to miss a target to give booster shots to almost 15 million people this month after the fast spread of the omicron variant threw initial rollout plans into disarray. About 2.6 million people had received their third dose as of Tuesday, roughly 18% of the target for January, according to government figures.
Winter Olympics Infections (1:31 p.m. HK)
China reported nine infections among incoming air travelers and another four in the closed loop involved in the Winter Olympics Tuesday, who are all from a category of “stakeholders,” the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympics said in a statement. Stakeholders include broadcasting staffers, members of international federations, marketing partners’ personnel, Olympic and Paralympic family members and media and workforce staff members.
Grim Covid Milestone on ‘Australia Day’ (1:30 p.m. HK)
New South Wales state reported Wednesday that it passed 1 million Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, just as people gathered across the nation for Australia Day events.
While citizenship ceremonies, celebrations and protest rallies all increased the risk of further infections, there were also some signs that the number of people being hospitalized and in intensive care may be plateauing. Hospital admissions in NSW, the country’s most populous state, dropped slightly to 2,794 and ICU numbers eased to 175 over the past 24 hours, according to government data.
In Queensland state, where the health system is also under strain due to the spread of the omicron variant, officials expressed optimism that infections may peak soon in the south-east.
Royal Caribbean Ships (11:47 a.m. HK)
Royal Caribbean is considering relocating its cruise ships to Singapore due to the stringent measures in Hong Kong and high operating costs, local media outlet HK01 reported Tuesday, citing unidentified people. The company may also stop its “cruise-to-nowhere” business in Hong Kong.
Record Cases in Germany (10:38 a.m. HK)
Germany reported a record 164,000 new cases, compared with 126,955 the day before, according to the country’s public health authority RKI. Reported new deaths associated with the virus rose by 166, bringing the total to 117,126. The 7-day incidence rate also rose to record 940.6 per 100,000 people.
Cases also reached a record in France, exceeding 500,000 for the first time.
Hong Kong Isolation (9:39 a.m. HK)
The city’s zero-tolerance approach could fuel a large-scale exodus of international workers and executives, according to a draft report by the European Chamber of Commerce in the city. The most likely scenario for Hong Kong’s exit from its isolation is to wait for China to finish developing a powerful messenger RNA vaccine and immunize its 1.4 billion people, the business group said in an internal document seen and verified by Bloomberg.
New Zealand’s New Plan (9:32 a.m. HK)
New Zealand will reduce isolation periods and change the definition of contacts in a phased response. The government plans three phases, with the first now underway as policy makers take a “stamp it out” approach, Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said Wednesday in Wellington. Phase two will occur when omicron cases have spread in the community and phase three will be when there are thousands of cases a day.
Hong Kong Passenger Volumes Slump (9:18 a.m. HK)
Air passenger volumes in Hong Kong continued their free fall last year, plunging to 1.35 million, the lowest since 1967, data from the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the city’s Census and Statistics Department show. Some of the world’s strictest border and Covid quarantine measures saw passenger numbers at the Asian financial hub’s airport drop 84.7% from 2020, the Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a statement Tuesday.
China’s Local Cases (9:07 a.m. HK)
China reported 24 local cases on Jan. 25, with bulk of that coming from Beijing, which prepares to host the Winter Olympics. The city found 14 new cases on Tuesday, as well as five people who didn’t show any symptoms, according to the National Health Commission.
While China’s total case count of 24 is significantly lower than previous triple-digits highs, infections have spread to the northeastern and northwestern region including provinces such as Heilongjiang and Xinjiang.
Peru Prime Minister Has Covid (9:01 a.m. HK)
Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez tested positive for Covid and has mild symptoms, according to a statement posted to Twitter by the Ministers Cabinet. Vasquez, who is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot, will carry out her duties remotely from home, the statement said.
Record South Korea Cases (8:43 a.m. HK)
South Korea’s daily infections jumped by more than 50% from the previous day to 13,012, fueled by the omicron variant, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s website. Severe cases remain relatively low at 385.
Singapore New Cases Spike (8:20 a.m. HK)
Singapore’s new local cases were 5,578, including those detected through rapid testings, up from 2,624 on Monday, Ministry of Health data show. The weekly infection growth rate was little changed.
Malaysia Mulls Easing Rules for Tourists (7:58 a.m. HK)
Malaysia may relax virus protocols for international tourists who have completed their vaccination regimen as well as received their booster shots, said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Malaysia will not close the economy nor restrict movement, he added.
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