(Bloomberg) — Thailand raised its Covid alert level to the second-highest as new infections there reached the most in more than a month. Tokyo lifted its warning level and Okinawa will impose new curbs, with infections in the island set to hit a record amid outbreaks thought to have stemmed from U.S. military bases.
China advised people to avoid long-distance trips during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, and introduced new restrictions for people traveling from the U.S. Excess deaths in South Africa’s fell for the first week in the last three, adding to evidence that the omicron-driven wave of coronavirus infections has been shorter and less severe than those from previous variants.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic was refused entry into Australia amid a furor over a vaccine exemption he received to play in the upcoming Australian Open tournament.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases approach 298 million; deaths exceed 5.46 million
- Vaccine Tracker: Almost 9.3 billion shots administered
- Israel becomes test case for fourth vaccine as cases hit record
- U.S. hospital staff shortages hit most in a year on Covid surge
- Locked-down Chinese city thrown into chaos after Covid app crash
- France’s Macron says he wants to ‘p— off’ the unvaccinated
Taiwan Airport Cluster Grows (2:29 p.m. HK)
The number of local Covid-19 cases at Taoyuan airport rose to eight after the addition of three more cases Thursday, health minister Chen Shih-chung said. Two of those in the cluster have been confirmed as infected with the omicron variant. Taiwan also reported 40 imported cases Thursday.
Cathay to Operate 20% of Pre-Covid Cargo Capacity: HK01 (1:40 p.m. HK)
Cathay Pacific will operate about 20% of cargo capacity and about 2% of passenger flight capacity compared to the pre-pandemic level starting Jan. 7, local media outlet HK01 reported, citing the company.
India Cases Jump Almost Seven-Fold in a Week (1:23 p.m. HK)
India reported 90,928 new infections Thursday — an almost seven-fold jump in a week — pushing total confirmed cases there past 35 million. So far, 2,630 cases have been linked to omicron, government data show. Reported deaths rose by 325 to 482,876.
“This phase of super-exponential growth in cases is likely to end in a few days,” according to a report Monday from a Covid India tracker developed by the Cambridge Judge Business School and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. The tracker, which warned in late December that a sudden and massive spurt of new infections was coming within days, said the daily growth rate in infections was nearing its top level in some states, but it was too early to call the peak for the entire country.
Thailand Raises Alert Level (12:40 p.m. HK)
Thailand raised its Covid-19 alert to the second-highest level as new infections reached the most in more than a month following New Year celebrations.
The Health Ministry increased the alert level Thursday from 3 to 4, a category that includes new guidelines to discourage dining and consuming alcohol in restaurants, leaving the house and using public transport as well as traveling abroad.
Hong Kong Banks Tighten Work Rules (12 p.m. HK)
Banks in Hong Kong, including UBS Group AG and Standard Chartered Plc, are tightening work rules at their offices and moving into split teams as the omicron variant threatens a fifth wave of infections in the Asian financial hub.
UBS has asked all business functions in Hong Kong to revert to split teams that will alternate office work by week. Standard Chartered ordered split teams and told employees to bring laptops home every day, calling on staff to avoid large-scale organized events and unnecessary social gatherings.
Japan Asks U.S. to Limit Troop Movements (10:45 a.m. HK)
Japan urged the U.S. to impose restrictions on troops stationed in the country amid virus outbreaks thought to have stemmed from bases, which have strained ties between the allies.
In a phone conversation Thursday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called for steps including limits on off-base excursions. Okinawa, where the first cases of the omicron variant were linked to a U.S. military base, expects a record of nearly 1,000 cases Thursday, up from 50 a few days ago.
China Reports 142 Local Infections (9:07 a.m. HK)
China recorded 142 locally transmitted cases Thursday as a domestic outbreak continues to spread across the country. While the city of Xi’an has effectively contained the virus, according to state media, there were 73 new cases in central Henan province, including asymptomatic infections. That province earlier locked down two cities and barred some residents, including in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, from leaving their homes.
The country also has tightened flight requirements from the U.S. All China-bound travelers, including foreign and Chinese nationals, are now required to stay in their departure city for seven days before travel, passing two Covid tests during that time. There currently are seven direct flights a week from the U.S. to China.
Tokyo Not Considering Restrictions Now (8:39 a.m. HK)
Even as coronavirus case numbers tick up, Tokyo’s governor said there currently are no plans to ask the national government to introduce a quasi-emergency in the capital, but the city will raise the infection alert level by one notch, local media reported. Tokyo confirmed 390 cases Wednesday, compared with 76 a week earlier, though only three people are being treated as serious cases and the city hasn’t reported a death in more than a week.
The government is planning to introduce restrictions aimed at controlling the virus in the prefectures of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima, according to reports.
Pfizer Booster Backed for Teens (6:15 a.m. HK)
U.S. public health advisers said vaccinated teens should get a Covid-19 booster shot from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, an important step in efforts to expand immunizations and keep schools open.
A panel of outside experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend the booster shot for people ages 12-17 who received their second dose at least five months earlier. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has the final say on making the advice official.
Australia Announces New Limits as Cases Soar (6:00 a.m. HK)
Australia’s second-most populous state is introducing density limits in hospitality venues, reducing the number of non-urgent elective surgeries and strongly recommending people work from home as infection numbers hit fresh highs.
As the country shifts toward at-home testing to alleviate pressure on the PCR testing system, Victoria also has introduced mandatory reporting of positive rapid antigen tests to health authorities. Positive RATs will be reported as “probable cases,” the government said.
Victoria state reported a record 21,997 cases Thursday, with 631 people in hospital, including 51 in intensive care. There were 34,994 cases in New South Wales, the country’s biggest state, with 1,609 in hospital, including 131 patients in intensive care.
Djokovic Denied Entry to Australia (5 p.m. NY)
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has been denied entry to Australia ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2022. The Australian Border Force said Djokovic provided insufficient proof to enter the country despite earlier being granted a medical exemption to play in the upcoming Australian Open, according to a statement Thursday.
“The ABF can confirm that Mr. Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently canceled,” the statement said. “Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa canceled will be detained and removed from Australia.”
New York’s Omicron Peak Yet to Come (4:05 p.m. NY)
New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said Covid data suggest the city hasn’t yet hit a peak in the recent omicron-fueled spike of coronavirus cases. Cases and hospitalizations are still increasing and “I expect that will continue in the near term, meaning the next days to weeks,” Chokshi said in a briefing Wednesday.
He said the steepness of the curve appears to be falling, but that could be due to the holidays, when fewer people get tested. He said the impact of gatherings at New Year could still fuel another uptick, and encouraged New Yorkers to get booster doses, wear masks and social distance.
Italy Mandates Vaccines for Over-50s (4 p.m. NY)
Italy made vaccination compulsory for people over 50 and further reduced what the unvaccinated can do as it fights a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The decision came as the country recorded a record daily high of 189,109 cases. Hospital and intensive care occupancy are creeping up, though they remain well below the peaks of 2020.
Grammy Awards Postponed for Second Year (3:02 p.m. NY)
The music industry’s Grammy Awards, scheduled for Jan. 31, have been postponed for a second year due to “uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant,” according to a joint statement from the Recording Academy and CBS. A new date will be announced soon, the statement said.
South Africa Excess Deaths Decline (1 p.m. NY)
South Africa’s excess deaths fell for the first week in the last three, adding to evidence that the omicron-driven wave of coronavirus infections has been shorter and less severe than those from previous variants.
Excess deaths, a measure of fatalities compared to a historical average, fell to 3,016 in the week to Dec. 26 from 3,087 a week earlier, the South African Medical Research Council said Wednesday. Official deaths due to Covid-19 declined to 425 from 428.
Singapore Infection Rate Continues Rising (9:45 a.m NY)
Infections are spreading faster in Singapore, with the week-on-week infection growth rate rising Wednesday, according to government data. A number above one means there were more cases in the community in the past week compared to the one before. Adding imported cases and infections among guest workers, there were 805 new cases Wednesday, the second-highest daily total in a month.
Singapore said Wednesday that booster shots will be required to maintain vaccination status and that it will share its Covid statistics with the U.S. government. That came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had insufficient data on the pandemic in the city-state and urged Americans to avoid traveling there.
Swiss Cases Reach Record (9:06 a.m. NY)
Switzerland reported a record 31,109 new cases Wednesday, up 10,000 in a day, according to the Federal Office of Public Health. Hospital capacity remains manageable even as the infection rate has surged since the new year.
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