(Bloomberg) —
U.S. infections rose to an average of about 120,000 a day this week, the most since September, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg through Friday. The delta variant continues to drive infections and hospitalizations, though the new omicron variant has been reported now in more than 25 states.
England could face between 24,700 and 74,800 deaths from Covid-19 this winter without further restrictions to slow the spread of the omicron variant, scientists in London warned. U.K. care homes are already cutting back on visits and health officials are pushing for even tighter limits on socializing, the Guardian reported.
About 44,000 people turned out in Vienna for the third large protest in the past month against mandatory vaccinations, organized by the far-right Freedom Party.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 269.4 million; deaths approach 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.37 billion shots given
- Omicron propels U.S. booster drive where it’s needed least
- What we know about omicron: QuickTake
- Closed U.S. movie theaters leave void from small towns to big cities
- Coronavirus Daily: Japan’s disappearing Covid deaths
Big Turnout for Third Vienna Rally (11:25 a.m. NY)
Police estimate about 44,000 people turned out in Vienna for the third large protest in the past month against mandatory vaccinations, organized by the far-right Freedom Party and its leader, Herbert Kickl. Several arrests were reported. Kickl addressed the flag-waving, drum-banging crowd in the city’s Heldenplatz.
Austria’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown will lift on Sunday after almost three weeks, giving way to more of a patchwork of measures. In Vienna, museums and cultural events will reopen, with stores to follow on Monday and restaurants on Dec. 20.
The central European nation plans to push ahead with a vaccine mandate, with people who haven’t had an inoculation by February subject to fines. Meantime, access to many parts of Austrian life will be restricted for those who can’t show evidence of vaccination.
U.S. Outbreak Worsens (10:30 a.m. NY)
U.S. infections rose to an average of about 120,000 a day this week, the most since September, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg through Friday. The delta variant continues to drive infections and hospitalizations, though the new omicron variant has been reported now in more than 25 states. Most of the omicron cases are among vaccinated people and are so far mild.
In 12 states and the nation’s capital, the seven-day average of hospital 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.
England Could Face Worse Winter Peak (8:30 a.m. NY)
The surge in omicron cases means winter deaths from the virus could be higher than last year in England, according to research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The study, which was published before peer review, modeled a number of scenarios for how omicron will spread and respond to booster shots.
Under the most optimistic scenario, 24,700 people would die between Dec. 1 and April 30 if the current restrictions on socializing in England are kept in place. The worst-case scenario would see nearly 75,000 deaths and a peak in hospital admissions around twice as high as the peak seen in January 2021.
French PM Urges Vaccines Ahead of Christmas (8:00 a.m. NY)
French Prime Minister Jean Castex urged more people to get vaccinated, with a fifth wave of cases sweeping the country. “People can celebrate Christmas normally, but we must respect the rules…and get vaccinated,” Castex, who tested positive for Covid-19 last month, told public radio outlet France Blue late Friday, according to AP. At least 81% of the French population has had at least one shot, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.
Scotland’s Tightens Isolation Rules (6:15 a.m. NY)
People in Scotland who live with someone who catches Covid must now isolate for 10 days, regardless of whether they test negative or have been vaccinated. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the change on Friday, warning that omicron could bring a surge of new cases.
U.K. Cuts Care Home Visits (5:45 p.m. HK)
The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care is letting care home residents receive visits from just three nominated people over Christmas, the Guardian reported. The new rule is expected to be effective on Wednesday, according to the paper. Residents and staff will also be subject to more frequent testing.
The changes come as U.K. Health and Security Agency officials advise ministers that “stringent national measures” should be taken within a week to avoid Covid hospitalizations surpassing last winter’s peak, the Guardian reported. Curbs such as stricter isolation rules for contacts of Covid cases, masks in pubs and a hospitality shut-down could be considered.
Separately, the U.K.’s hospitality industry is trying to solve staff shortages exacerbated by the pandemic by offering signing bonuses of as much as 2,000 pounds ($2,650), according to a separate report in the Guardian.
German ICUs Still ‘Severely Strained’ (5:30 p.m. HK)
German ICUs remain “severely strained,” according to Gernot Marx, the head of the country’s association for intensive care medicine DIVI. “We are running at full capacity throughout Germany,” Marx told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper.
Even if new cases drop significantly, it takes time for that kind of relief to reach the ICUs, he said. The association expects the number of patients in ICUs to reach 6,000 by Christmas, exceeding the peak during the second wave of the pandemic last winter.
Czech Republic to Vaccinate Kids 4:30 p.m. HK)
The Czech Republic said it will start vaccinating children between 5 and 11 years old next week. The country will open registry for kids from Sunday, and expects the first shots for children, from the total 300,000 it ordered, to arrive at the beginning of the week. The country had 12,836 new cases on Friday, 5,300 less than a week ago.
German Cases Decline (2:25 p.m. HK)
Cases in Germany are falling. The nation recorded a total of 53,697 new cases, compared with 61,288 the day before, according to the country’s public health authority RKI. The 7-day incidence rate fell to 402.9 per 100,000 people. Daily reported new deaths associated with the virus rose by 510, bringing the total to 105,506.
AstraZeneca to Supply Singapore With Antibody Drug (1:05 p.m. HK)
AstraZeneca Plc has signed a purchase agreement with Singapore to deliver Evusheld, a Covid-19 antibody drug, the U.K. pharmaceutical company said in a statement Friday.
Supply is expected to arrive in Singapore by the end of the year. A Phase III trial showed an 88% reduced risk of severe infection or death when patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 were treated within three days of the onset of symptoms. Pre-clinical data also suggest that Evusheld efficacy should not be significantly impacted by the new omicron variant.
Vietnam to Resume International Flights (11:05 a.m. HK)
Vietnam will resume some international flights starting Jan. 1 in a bid to support the nation’s aviation and tourism industries, according to a statement on the government’s website late Friday.
The pilot program will start with nine destinations, including Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and San Francisco, according to the statement, without providing details on any required quarantines for people entering the country.
Singapore Expands Vaccination to Children Aged 5-11 (10:40 a.m. HK)
Vaccinations for children aged five to 11 years will start before the end of 2021, according to an emailed statement. A Covid committee recommends that children with moderate to severe chronic medical conditions should be prioritized for access to the vaccine.
With the roll-out of vaccines to children, the city-state plans to administer more than 2 million doses over the next two months, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post.
In a separate announcement, Singapore’s health ministry said it has detected three more cases that tested preliminarily positive for the omicron variant.
U.S. Weighs Travel With Southern Africa (4:50 p.m. NY)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing analytical models to determine when reopening travel from eight southern African countries would no longer impact the spread of the omicron variant in the U.S., with an eye toward lifting controversial restrictions implemented last month, the White House said Friday.
“What we are doing currently, right now is looking at the evidence that would get us to pull back,” Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told reporters in a virtual briefing. The CDC is studying “the risk of increased influx of individuals who are infected, balanced against the already existing infection in our own country.”
The U.S. hopes to have the models completed within the next few days to a week, he said. The travel bans have been decried by international medical officials who say they could discourage countries from reporting new variants, and other critics have said the rules unfairly target majority Black countries. But the White House has said the restrictions are temporary and intended to buy time for scientists to study the variant and implement new mitigation steps.
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