(Bloomberg) — After months of warnings that vaccinations would ward off a Covid-19 disaster, the U.S. is sailing toward a holiday crisis as hospitalizations rise.
Two Singapore residents may have caught the omicron variant even after receiving Covid-19 booster shots, in cases which may shed light on the protection offered by a third dose of vaccine. Japan found eight new cases of the variant, while China’s latest outbreak is persisting.
Australia next month will start giving children as young as 5 the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a third dose of the Pfizer shot for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 268 million; deaths pass 5.2 million
- Omicron propels U.S. booster drive where it’s needed least
- What we know about omicron: QuickTake
- BI’s Sam Fazeli on the effectiveness of vaccine boosters against omicron
S. Africa Sees Hospitalization ‘Disconnect’ (2:40 p.m. HK)
South Africa is seeing a “disconnect” between the number of infections and hospital admissions in the current Covid-19 infection wave, according to Michelle Groome, the head of health surveillance for the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
As the omicron variant has taken hold there has been a slight increase in deaths, she said on an online press conference on Friday. This differs from earlier waves when the number of infections and hospital admissions rose in tandem, she said. This time admissions are muted. Infection rates are higher in age groups that have lower vaccination rates, she said.
Switzerland May Tighten Rules (2:27 p.m. HK)
The Swiss government is considering tightening measures to exclude the unvaccinated from restaurants and other areas of public life such as swimming pools and museums, in an effort to curb new infections and hospitalizations, according to local daily Tages Anzeiger.
The so-called 2G rule would mean only vaccinated or people who have recovered from Covid-19 are permitted to enter public premises, according to the paper. A lockdown of two to three weeks is also being considered, the paper said.
Danske Staff to Work From Home (2:17 pm. HK)
Danske Bank staff will be working from home through Jan 4. after the government announced new Covid-19 restrictions and urged businesses to work virtually if possible, Danske tells newspaper Borsen.
Clients will “to the greatest extent possible be met with digital meetings, while physical locations will remain open to a limited capacity,” the lender said in a written response to Borsen.
Directors Prioritized in HK-China Reopening (12:02 p.m. HK)
Directors of listed companies are among three groups that will be prioritized when quarantine-free travel resumes between Hong Kong and China, Wen Wei Po reported, citing unidentified people.
Longer Wait Better for Sinovac Booster (12 p.m. HK)
A longer gap between second and third doses of China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine provides more protection against the virus than a shorter wait, according to a study published in medical journal the Lancet.
Antibody levels in people who received a third dose eight months after their second dose rose more than twice as much as people who got a booster shot within two months of their second dose, according to researchers from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Fudan University and several regional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Africa Neighbors Brace for Spike (12 p.m. HK)
While many countries banned travelers from southern Africa after the new strain was first identified there two weeks ago, its governments have denounced the restrictions and have largely kept borders open. Lines of vehicles can stretch for several miles as workers at South African mines and construction sites journey home, adding to the already heavy stream of travelers.
South Africa’s neighbors are bracing for a flood of returning workers over the December holidays, threatening to accelerate the spread of the omicron variant that’s already ignited a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections in the region.
Mouse With Covid Sparks Lab Leak Alert (11:17 a.m. HK)
A mouse bite is at the center of an investigation into a possible new Covid-19 outbreak in Taiwan, after a worker at a high-security laboratory was confirmed as the island’s first local case in more than a month.
The lab worker, a woman in her 20s, tested positive for Covid this week after coming into contact with the virus during her work at Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top research institute, in mid-November, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a quickly organized briefing Thursday evening. She had not traveled abroad recently and had received two doses of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine.
China’s Latest Outbreak Persists (9:47 a.m. HK)
China reported 37 locally transmitted cases on Friday as the country’s latest Covid outbreak persists. Northwestern province Shaanxi, which detected one new case, is the latest region affected by the flareup, according to the National Health Commission.
Local authorities in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou — the capital of the Zhejiang province south of Shanghai — have initiated rounds of testing while suspending operations of some indoor entertainment venues including bars and chess rooms, officials said in a press conference on Thursday.
Omicron Found in Two People With Boosters (9:25 a.m. HK)
Two Singapore residents may have caught the omicron variant even after receiving their booster shots, in cases which may shed light on the protection offered by a third dose of vaccine.
A 24-year-old female airport passenger-service worker has returned a preliminary positive test to omicron, in what would be the city-state’s first case of local transmission of the variant, the health ministry said in a statement late Thursday. The second person is considered an imported case after returning from Germany via the vaccinated travel lane on Dec. 6.
Mexico Vaccine Stockpile Swells (8:21 a.m. HK)
Mexico’s stockpile of unused vaccine surpassed 50 million doses Thursday, according to Health Ministry data, as the country’s vaccination campaign lags regional peers.
Mexico was the first Latin American nation to deliver a jab of vaccine against the coronavirus last December and the daily rate of doses administered peaked at more than 1.5 million in late July. The number of doses delivered daily has plunged since then and hasn’t hit 500,000 in the past seven days, according to the Health Ministry.
GE Halts Vaccine Mandate, Raytheon Keeps It (7:48 a.m. HK)
General Electric Co. and a pair of large railroads suspended their employee vaccine mandates after a judge this week halted the Biden administration’s order requiring workers at federal contractors to get inoculated.
Raytheon Technologies Corp., however, said Thursday it will continue to require that employees be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Workers must be fully inoculated by Jan. 18.
Korea Shortens Booster Shot Interval (7:33 a.m. HK)
South Korea brought forward the timing for Covid-19 booster shots to just three months after the second dose, as one of Asia’s most-vaccinated countries grapples with its worst ever virus surge.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday that the booster gap is being shortened on “expert advice” and the move is warranted to “reverse the crisis that our community is facing.” Korea has been steadily bringing forward timelines for booster eligibility, from the original six months cut to five and then four months for the elderly.
U.S. Holiday Crisis Looms (7:33 a.m. HK)
Cases and hospital admissions in the U.S. are rising amid a season of family gatherings. Most victims have shunned inoculations, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy saying the “overwhelming majority” of infections, hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.
In 12 states and the nation’s capital, the seven-day average of admissions with confirmed Covid-19 has climbed at least 50% from two weeks earlier, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. The areas with the largest percentage upticks were Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Vermont and Rhode Island.
“We’re in desperate shape,” said Brian Weis, chief medical officer at Northwest Texas Healthcare System in Amarillo, the state’s worst hot spot.
Australia to Vaccinate Ages 5-11 Next Month (5:05 a.m. HK)
Australia will begin vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 starting Jan. 10 with the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech shot, the government said in a statement.
Health officials expect to advise on use of the Moderna Inc. vaccine for children ages 6 to 11 in the coming weeks, according to the statement. It was released shortly after Australia’s Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation recommended the Pfizer vaccine for all children ages 5 to 11.
CDC Recommends Booster for Ages 16-17 (2:28 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that adolescents ages 16 and 17 get boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
The Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency-use authorization for the vaccine earlier Thursday to 16 and 17-year-olds, once six months have elapsed after their second Pfizer-BioNTech dose. Vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are only approved for age 18 and older.
London Staff Told Stay Home (1:40 p.m. NY)
London could be about to become a ghost town again after firms started telling thousands of staff to work from home in response to the latest U.K. government guidance.
Deutsche Bank AG is significantly reducing the number of staff working in the office from Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The arrangements will be similar to earlier in the pandemic when most staff worked from home, with exceptions for trading teams or those with personal circumstances that require attendance in the office.
More here: Deutsche Bank, NatWest Tell London Staff to Work From Home
South African Scientists Face Death Threats (11:40 a.m. NY)
South African Covid-19 scientists and researchers are facing death threats and harassment, News24 reported.
South African scientists discovered a highly mutated coronavirus variant, now named omicron, on Nov. 25 that the dominant strain in a surge of infections that has led South Africa’s government to consider mandatory vaccinations.
Read more: South Africa’s Top Covid Scientists Facing Death Threats
Germany Advises Vaccines for Ages 5 to 11 (9:14 a.m. NY)
Germany’s vaccine authority advised Covid-19 vaccinations for children ages five to 11 who have a pre-existing condition or are in regular contact with people who are at a higher risk. Children in the age group who aren’t at heightened risk can get shots if the parents want them to.
World Economic Forum to Go Ahead (9:00 a.m. NY)
The World Economic Forum scheduled for next month in Davos is set to go ahead, even as European countries grapple with a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
The event “will provide a key platform for global health leaders to meet with government and business at the highest level to move forward,” a WEF spokesman said in a statement. “Switzerland is open to international travel and events, conducted under sensible and strict public health measures.”
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