(Bloomberg) — Seventy percent of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, a key milestone in the fight against the pandemic that comes almost a month later than President Joe Biden’s original goal.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said employees at mass-transit operations must be inoculated or submit to weekly tests, and urged private businesses to adopt a vaccine-only admissions policy. New York City ‘strongly’ recommended wearing masks indoors, though no mandate was issued.
China is confronting its broadest coronavirus outbreak since the pathogen emerged in late 2019, with cases now in 14 of 32 provinces. India is likely to see a new, though smaller, wave of infections, according to the forecaster who accurately predicted India’s Covid peak earlier this year.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 198.5 million; deaths pass 4.2 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 4.13 billion doses administered
- In Provincetown, Covid hits 14 friends in show of delta’s might
- U.K.’s delta rollercoaster flips between virus horror and hope
- Are Covid shots working? What the real world tells us: QuickTake
- Here’s what major U.S. companies have said about latest policies
Equinox, SoulCycle in NYC to Reequire Proof (1:10 p.m. NY)
The owner of Equinox gyms and SoulCycle studios will require employees and members to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination beginning next month.
The effort will begin with New York City locations before similar policies are rolled out in all of its markets, Equinox Group said Monday in a statement. The company will require one-time proof in the form of a physical immunization card, a photo of such a card or a digital vaccine card. Equinox said it will work to find alternative solutions for individuals who require medical or religious accommodations.
U.S. Hits Biden 70% Goal a Month Late (1 p.m. NY)
Seventy percent of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, a key milestone in the fight against the pandemic that the country hit nearly a month later than President Joe Biden had hoped.
After falling dramatically since April, the pace of U.S. vaccinations has recently accelerated due to the rapid spread of the delta variant of coronavirus. The U.S. was averaging more than 72,000 new infections a day in a delta-fueled resurgence of the virus as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NYC Stops Short of Mask Mandate (10:55 a.m. NY)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he is “strongly” recommending that even those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 wear masks indoors, stopping short of mandating such face coverings.
The mayor’s suggestion Monday comes as the nation deals with a new wave of coronavirus cases due to the delta variant.
The mayor has focused heavily on the vaccination effort as a way to fight the surge and said newly hired city workers will now have to be vaccinated before they can start on the job.
N.Y. Tightens Vaccine, Testing Policy (10:11 a.m. NY)
Governor Cuomo wants workers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to be vaccinated or get tested regularly in an effort to stem a surge of cases linked to the delta variant.
At a press briefing on Monday, Cuomo urged city and town leaders to follow revised masking guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying the state can’t do so without a new law.
Cuomo also urged private businesses, including bars and restaurants, to only allow vaccinated people.
“I believe it is in your business interest to run a vaccine-only admission,” the governor said.
Kenya OKs Two Vaccines for Emergency Use (9:19 a.m. NY)
Kenya approved the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson and the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.
The East African nation expects to receive 13 million J&J doses starting this month. Kenya’s plan to inoculate its entire adult population of 26 million people by end of 2022 is reliant on J&J vaccines.
About 10 million people will be vaccinated by the end of December, President Uhuru Kenyatta said last month. Kenya has so far inoculated less than 2.5% of its population of approximately 53 million people, using mostly doses from AstraZeneca.
Slovakia Starts Vaccine Incentive Lottery (6:28 a.m. NY)
The Slovak Finance Ministry started a vaccine lottery. A weekly draw among those who are fully vaccinated will have the highest prize of 100,000 euros ($119,000) and the total budget allocated for the program amounts to 10 million euros. Slovakia has vaccinated 39% of its population, less than the EU average.
Germany Looks to Vaccinate Teens (6:17 a.m. NY)
The German government’s desire to make the vaccine available to a younger set of the population goes beyond advice published by the government’s independent vaccine commission. The authority, known as STIKO, recommends inoculating 12- to 17-year-olds whose pre-existing conditions put them at heightened risk from the coronavirus — or those who are in regular contact with people who are in particular danger.
Germany’s weekly case average of 2,195 was the highest since July 12, the Robert Koch-Institut said. The seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants rose to 17.5, the 26th consecutive gain.
As of Friday, 52% of the German population was fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and just under 62% had received at least one shot, according to the latest health ministry data.
Iran Daily Cases Rise to Record (6:10 a.m. NY)
Iran reported 37,189 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, the country’s highest case count since the start of the pandemic.
The death toll rose by 411 overnight, the highest since April 28, bringing the country’s coronavirus fatalities to 91,407, with more than 3.9 million infections.
France Optimistic About Collective Immunity (6:08 a.m. NY)
The head of France’s vaccination strategy council said collective immunity, representing as many as 90% of French who are older than 12 and are vaccinated, could be reached by early fall.
Speaking in an interview with French radio RTL on Monday, Alain Fischer called the current vaccination pace “very fast” and that those who are still reluctant to get the shot must be convinced. Fischer said a third injection might be possible for those who are immuno-depressed and those above the age of 75 to 80.
As of Aug. 1, as many as 63.2% of the French had received one vaccine shot, while 52.6% are fully vaccinated, according to the French health ministry.
China’s Outbreak Broadest Since Wuhan (1:38 p.m. HK)
China is confronting its broadest coronavirus outbreak since the pathogen emerged in late 2019 after the delta variant broke through the country’s defenses. Cases have now been recorded in 14 of 32 provinces.
While the overall number of infections — more than 300 so far — is much lower than outbreaks elsewhere, the wide spread indicates that the variant has been on the loose for some time and is alarming officials.
It’s the biggest challenge for the world’s second-largest economy since the Wuhan outbreak began in December 2019. China’s strict regulations, including mass testing, aggressive contact tracing, quarantines and occasional lockdowns, crushed more than 30 previous flareups.
India Adds Over 40,000 Daily Cases (1:20 p.m. HK)
India recorded 40,134 Covid-19 cases Monday, taking the country’s total tally to 31.7 million. It has administered 472.2 million vaccine shots so far but only 7.6% of the country’s population is fully inoculated against the virus, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.
Covid-related deaths rose by 422 in a day to 424,773, according to latest data from the Indian health ministry.
Southeast Asia Rocked by Virus (12:45 p.m. HK)
Southeast Asia surpassed Latin America in reporting the world’s largest weekly death toll per million people in the seven days through Aug. 1, the Southeast Asian region recorded 28.8 deaths per 1 million people, versus 28.5 in Latin America and the Caribbean region, according to Bloomberg analysis based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Southeast Asia’s total fatalities since the pandemic started are still just a fraction of Latin America’s, but the change shows how the more transmissible delta variant is raging as the vaccination rate remains low. Indonesia had the majority of the jump in deaths in the region, reporting 12,444 in the past week. Myanmar and Malaysia saw the second and third largest weekly death tolls at 2,620 and 1,030, respectively.
Taiwan Considers Easing Restrictions Soon (11:45 a.m. HK)
Taiwan may further ease its Covid curbs after Aug. 10. The local pandemic situation remains stable after Taiwan downgraded its Covid-19 alert level from July 27, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said in a text message statement, citing Premier Su Tseng-chang.
Border control will need to remain tight given the pandemic is spreading in neighboring countries, Su said.
Olympics Bubble Holding Up as Cases Surge (9:50 a.m. HK)
The Tokyo summer Olympic Games have reported over 250 cases among athletes and related personnel, but experts say the bubble system created to separate the sporting event from the Japanese capital appears to be working — so far.
Outside the Olympic venues, the city of Tokyo is seeing a surge in Covid-19 infections and reported a record 4,058 new cases on Saturday. Yet, among athletes and stakeholders of the Olympics, the positivity rate has been only 0.02% with over 400,000 tests conducted so far, organizers said on Sunday. Of the over 40,000 tests performed at the airport for games participants, only 35 have been positive.
Thailand Death Toll Tops 5,000 (9:46 a.m. HK)
Thailand’s Covid-19 death toll surpassed 5,000 on Monday when the country reported 178 fatalities amid a relentless surge of infections fueled by the more contagious delta variant. The Southeast Asian nation reported 17,970 new infections on Monday, taking the cumulative cases to 633,284.
The spike in infections and hospitalizations has overwhelmed the public health system in a country where only 5.6% of the population have been fully inoculated. There are currently more than 200,000 active cases, with 4,768 patients in critical condition.
Brisbane Extends Lockdown (8:31 a.m. HK)
Brisbane will remain in lockdown until at least Sunday as Australia’s third-largest city struggles to contain an outbreak of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which has also seen stay-at-home orders enforced in Sydney.
The lockdown in Brisbane and surrounding regions in the southeast of Queensland state, announced on Saturday, was due to end on Tuesday. It will be extended after authorities detected 13 new cases in the local community on Monday from the day before, Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters.
The announcement comes after Sydney’s delta-outbreak cases forced Australia’s largest city into a lockdown that will be implemented for at least nine weeks until Aug. 28. Sydney reported a record-matching 239 new local cases of Covid-19 over the 24 hours to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Pfizer in Talks for Japan Trial of Oral Drug (8:15 a.m. HK)
Pfizer is in talks with Japanese authorities to start a trial of its orally taken Covid-19 drug in the nation, Nikkei reported, without attribution.
Pfizer Inc. said in March that it has begun human safety testing of a new pill to treat the coronavirus that could be used at the first sign of illness.
U.S. Reports Strong Week for First Shots (6:18 a.m. HK)
The White House said the past week has been the best for administering first shots since early June.
On Sunday, 816,000 doses were administered, one of the highest in the past month. Vaccinations have been trending higher since mid-July, with several states with the worst outbreaks picking up pace.
India Likely Faces New Wave: Expert (5:15 a.m. HK)
The forecaster who accurately predicted India’s Covid peak earlier this year said the country is likely to see a rise in infections building into a new, though smaller, wave.
The new surge may peak in October, with less than 100,000 cases a day in a best-case scenario, according to estimates by researchers led by Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad and Kanpur respectively.
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