(Bloomberg) —
An outbreak at a U.S. military base in Japan is fueling concern about the spread of the omicron variant in the country.
Europe’s biggest nations are weighing more curbs to fight a surge in infections, while President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said the prospect of further lockdowns in the U.S. are unlikely.
Hong Kong said it’s banning Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights from New York between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2. Israel to add the U.S., Canada and eight other countries to its travel-ban list.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 274.6 million; deaths top 5.35 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.71 billion shots given
- Travel Tracker: Covid cases rise, and border tightening follows
- As Covid hits NFL, bettors may need to bone up on table tennis
- Vaccine data gaps point to millions more in U.S. who lack shots
- What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake
HK Bans Cathay Flights From NY (4:22 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong is banning Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights from New York between Dec. 20 to Jan. 2 after three passengers on a flight on the same route were confirmed to have Covid-19, according to a government statement.
Hong Kong reported five imported omicron cases on Monday, bringing the tally to 19 so far.
Europe Braces for Stricter Measures (4:20 p.m. HK)
After a new lockdown in the Netherlands and travel restrictions targeted by several countries at the U.K., Germany is bracing for stricter measures, while France is considering requiring vaccine passes in the work place.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will host talks with regional officials Tuesday to discuss stricter curbs that go beyond those already in place in Europe’s biggest economy, as well as how to further accelerate Germany’s vaccination campaign.
Measures will likely include reducing the number of people allowed at indoor gatherings and closing nightclubs to limit social interaction over the vacation period, according to Economy Minister Robert Habeck.
S. African President Back at Work (4:09 p.m. HK)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa returned to duty after recovering from Covid-19.
The president ended his period of self-isolation and will chair the final cabinet meeting of the year on Dec. 22, the presidency said in a statement Monday.
Israel Expands Travel-Ban List (3:48 p.m. HK)
The Israeli cabinet approved recommendations by health officials to add the U.S., Canada and eight other countries to a list of banned travel destinations due to the spread of the omicron variant.
The decision is slated to take effect at midnight Tuesday, subject to approval by a Knesset committee.
Other countries on the list include Italy, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey.
Outbreak at U.S. Military Camp in Japan (2:01 p.m. HK)
An outbreak at a U.S. military base in Japan is fueling concern about the omicron variant, months after the nation saw a record delta wave of infections ebb.
More than 180 people are part of the cluster at the U.S. military Camp Hansen on the island prefecture of Okinawa, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsunotold reporters on Monday. While it’s unclear if any of these have omicron, concern is growing that the new variant is spreading as two people connected to the base have been confirmed to have it.
New Zealand Says Death May Be Linked to Vaccine (10:34 a.m. HK)
New Zealand health authorities said they believe a man’s death may be linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
The 26-year-old man died within two weeks of his first dose of Pfizer and preliminary post-mortem information suggests the probable cause was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle wall that is a rare side effect of some Covid-19 vaccines, New Zealand’s Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board said in an emailed statement on Monday.
Germany Reports 16,086 New Cases (10:20 a.m. HK)
Germany recorded a total of 16,086 new cases, compared with 29,348 the day before, according to the country’s public health authority RKI.
China Reports 39 Cases as Xian Cluster Grows (10:11 a.m. HK)
China reported 39 Covid infections on Monday amid a cluster in the city of Xi’an. The country also reported four imported cases of omicron.
Almost 50 Cases Reported on Cruise (5:07 p.m. NY)
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas ship docked in Miami on Saturday with 48 passengers and crew members who tested positive for Covid-19, the company said in a statement. The total number of passengers was 6,091.
Each person immediately went into quarantine. The sick passengers were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms; 98% were fully vaccinated.
U.S. Senator Warren Tests Positive (4:48 p.m. NY)
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said she has tested positive for Covid-19.
Jefferies CEO Quarantined With Covid (4:11 p.m. NY)
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Rich Handler said he tested positive earlier this month and is approaching his 10th day of isolation.
“Three days after we decided at Jefferies to have our people once again work from home for safety, I tested positive and have been self-quarantining,” Handler said Sunday in a post on Instagram.
Jefferies asked staffers on Dec. 8 to start working from home amid a rise in Covid cases among its workforce. The New York-based firm is aiming to have its staff back at the office by Jan. 17, Handler and President Brian Friedman said in an Instagram post on Saturday.
NYC Mayor Calls for Federal Help (3:56 p.m. NY)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called on the federal government to step up supplies of tests and treatments to the city amid a spike in infections caused by the omicron variant.
“We are feeling the omicron wave especially hard right now but we know it’s going to be all over the country,” de Blasio said. “This whole country needs go on a war footing to fight back.”
New infections in New York City have tripled over the last month. The seven-day average of new cases reported on Sunday was 5,731, a number de Blasio called “really shocking.” New York state has broken records for new infections for the last three days, reporting 22,478 new cases on Sunday.
NBA Postpones Five Games (1:35 p.m. NY)
The NBA on Sunday announced that five games had been postponed because of players and staff entering Covid-19 health and safety protocols. The impacted games include Denver at Brooklyn, Cleveland at Atlanta, New Orleans at Philadelphia, Orlando at Toronto and Washington at Brooklyn.
France Ups Health Workers’ Pay (1:32 p.m. NY)
The French government will double overtime pay for health workers at public hospitals beginning Monday. “It’s a proper recognition by the state for health workers who have been fully involved since the beginning of this crisis,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said in a statement. France reported 48,473 new infections on Sunday, an 11% increase from a week earlier.
U.K. Cases Jump 50% in Week (11:25 a.m. NY)
The U.K. reported another 82,886 cases on Dec. 19 while the weekly total soared 52% to 547,606. Deaths declined by 6.5% to 780 for the week, including 45 on Sunday. The rate of 646 per 100,000 population is the highest since the start of the pandemic. Parts of London are running at more than double that, including more than 1,600 per 100,000 resident in the financial district.
Confirmed omicron cases increased to a total of 37,101 on Sunday from 14,909 on Dec. 17, though health officials said the actual number is running in the hundreds of thousands per day.
S. Africa Covid Hospitalizations Tick Up (10 a.m. NY)
South African hospitals have 7,951 Covid-19 patients of whom 6.7% are in intensive care units, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said in a report on Sunday.
Of the 535 people in ICU, 212 are on ventilators, the institute said. Of the admissions, 3,286 are in Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Fauci Doesn’t Expect Lockdowns (9:50 a.m. NY)
An effective shutdown of the U.S. likely won’t be necessary as Covid surges again, though hospitals will be tested by the expected rise in cases from the omicron variant, according to President Biden’s top medical adviser.
“I don’t foresee the kind of lockdowns that we’ve seen before but I certainly see the potential for stress on our hospital system,” Anthony Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
U.K. Doesn’t Rule Out Stronger Curbs (6:38 a.m. NY)
Health Secretary Sajid Javid refused to rule out stronger U.K. Covid-19 rules before Christmas. When asked whether he could rule out a so-called circuit-breaker lockdown within days, he said that there are no guarantees in this pandemic and that everything needs to be kept under review.
“It’s time to be more cautious. We know this thing is spreading more rapidly,” Javid told BBC News on Sunday. U.K. papers have been filled with speculation that tighter rules may be introduced right after Christmas.
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