(Bloomberg) —
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who survived a recall election partly on his handling of the pandemic, tweeted on Saturday that California now has the lowest infection rate among U.S. states.
With the delta variant spreading in Alaska and its largest hospital rationing medical care, military leaders at the Elmendorf-Richardson base declared a health emergency.
European authorities are weighing a vaccination campaign for children as young as six. Singapore added the most new cases since April 2020, when the city-state imposed a lockdown.
Key Developments:
- Global Virus Tracker: Cases pass 227.9 million; deaths exceed 4.6 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 5.85 billion doses administered
- A 3,700-mile sailing trip shows why strict quarantine is failing
- Alpine party town where Covid raged sparks court fight
- How the pandemic left British households $1.2 trillion richer
- Why the delta variant is giving more children Covid: QuickTake
U.K. Told To Block Vaccine Data to EU (4:30 p.m. NY)
Jonathan Van-Tam, U.K.’s deputy chief medical officer, asked ministers to hold onto all clinical trial data from the EU if countries continue to deny entry for U.K. vaccine trial volunteers, The Guardian reported, without citing where it obtained the information.
U.K. officials have spoken to EU leaders about recognizing trial vaccines and a secondary option would be for volunteers to get a vaccine approved by the NHS, the Guardian said. “We are clear that volunteers in formally approved Covid-19 vaccine trials in the U.K. should not be disadvantaged in relation to vaccine certification policies, and we are committed to taking action on this issue, including reviewing guidance on additional vaccination for this group,” a U.K. government spokesperson told The Guardian.
California Has U.S.’s Lowest Infection Rate (4:16 p.m. NY)
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who survived a recall election partly on his handling of the pandemic, tweeted on Saturday that California now has the lowest infection rate among U.S. states.
The most populous U.S. state had rate of 113 cases per 100,000 people, over the last seven days, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The next closest state was Connecticut, almost 126 cases per 100,000. Florida had 353 per 100,000, CDC data show.
He also said that California had crossed the milestone of administering at least one dose to 70% of the population.
“Vaccines are how we end this pandemic,” he tweeted.
Singapore Cases Surge to 2020 Lockdown Levels (4:10 p.m. NY)
Singapore added 1,009 cases Saturday, the most since April 2020, when the city-state imposed a lockdown. The bulk of the cases were infections within the local community, with five detected in those arriving from overseas.
A total of 863 people were hospitalized, and 18 in ICU, the Health Ministry said.
It also announced its 60th death — an unvaccinated 90-year-old man who had a history of cancer, heart disease and pneumonia. A total of 82% of the population have been fully-vaccinated and it’s starting to offer booster shots to those over 60, as well as immunocompromised patients.
Alaska Base Declares Health Emergency (12:20 p.m. NY)
A U.S. military base in Alaska declared a health emergency on Friday, urging personnel to avoid areas off-base that do not require masking or social distancing. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, near Anchorage and known as JBER, is used by about 30,000 service members, families and civilians.
“Unfortunately, the lack of mitigation measures off-base has resulted in alarmingly high infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths in our community,” Lt. Gen. David Krumm, head of the Air Force in Alaska, wrote to personnel in a note quoted by the Anchorage Daily News. “Current Covid cases on JBER have not yet reached the point of jeopardizing our readiness, but they are rising.”
Alaska’s largest hospital announced earlier this week it would begin to ration care.
Flags on National Mall Memorialize U.S. Dead (12:07 p.m. NY)
More than 650,000 white flags are being placed on the National Mall in Washington this month in a reminder of the lives the U.S. has lost to Covid-19.
The installation by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, called “In America: Remember,” is on display through Oct. 3. People can write in to dedicate a flag to the memory of someone they lost to Covid, Firstenberg said on Twitter.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose department oversees the Mall, said the project expresses “our collective loss.”
Russia Reports Upswing in Covid-19 (5:16 p.m. HK)
Russia reported more than 20,000 new cases in the past day for the first time since Aug. 22 as the country holds tightly controlled parliamentary elections. The daily death toll rose to 799. Health authorities are warning of a “fourth wave” in Moscow, where new cases have climbed for the past five days. President Vladimir Putin is self-isolating for at least a week after dozens of people working close to him tested positive.
Europe Looks to Vaccinate Children: Repubblica (4:41 p.m. HK)
The European Medicines Agency will evaluate the possibility of giving Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 6 to 11 in November, Marco Cavaleri, head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy at the agency, said in an interview with La Repubblica on Saturday.
“Pfizer will send us some data at the beginning of October, Moderna should follow early November. Our evaluation will take three to four weeks”, Cavaleri told the Italian daily.
India May Restart Vaccine Exports: Mint (2:33 p.m. HK)
India may resume exporting Covid-19 vaccines by the year-end as its stocks are nearing levels that can meet its own immunization drive, the Mint newspaper reported, citing Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of vaccine maker Serum Institute of India Ltd.
“The export restrictions were there temporarily to take care of our nation. In the next month or two, we expect it will ease,” Poonawalla said in an interview, adding that the decision on overseas sales remains with the Indian government.
Germany’s Infection Rate Slows for Fifth Day (2:27 p.m. HK)
The coronavirus infection rate in Germany has slowed for a fifth day, with the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants dropping to 72.0, according to the latest data published by the Robert Koch Institute. That figure was as high as 83.8 earlier in the month.
Germany is meanwhile debating the lessons from a club night in the western city of Muenster two weeks ago that was open only to people fully vaccinated against the virus or recovered from Covid-19. The virus still spread among the 380 guests, infecting 85 and one employee of the club, though with only mild or no symptoms, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Without the admission rule, many more party-goers would have fallen seriously ill, according to German Social Democratic Party health expert Karl Lauterbach.
Honda Says Japan Output 60% Below Plan (11:42 a.m. HK)
Honda Motor Co. said its production lines in Japan are operating at about 40% of its initial plan for the August-September period because of chip shortages and delays in parts shipments due to coronavirus outbreaks overseas.
The Japanese automaker expects the impact to extend beyond this month and said the level of operations in early October will be about 70% of its initial plan, according to a statement on its website that notes the estimates are as of Sept. 14.
Singapore to Move Students to Virtual Classes (11:31 a.m. HK)
Singapore will move students through grades one to five — typically 7 to 11 years old — back to virtual learning as older ones take their national examinations later this month as a precaution against viral transmission.
The move is aimed at protecting children who aren’t medically eligible for vaccination, as well as reduce the number of students placed on quarantine orders or leave of absence prior to the exams, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a Facebook post.
Florida Adds Record Deaths for Week (8:02 a.m. HK)
Florida reported 2,468 additional Covid-19 deaths in its latest weekly report, the most ever in a similar period. The number was slightly above the previous record set last week, 2,448, indicating that fatalities in Florida, like new infections, are slowing.
Five in Oregon Hospitalized for Taking Ivermectin (6:43 a.m. NY)
The Oregon Poison Center said that 25 people were treated for taking the drug ivermectin, most often used to kill parasites in livestock, against Covid-19 between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14. Five were hospitalized and two were admitted to intensive care, the center said in a statement on Friday.
“Covid-19 is a devastating disease and can be very frightening, but the public does not need to use — nor should it use — unproven and potentially dangerous drugs to fight it,” Robert Hendrickson, the center’s medical director, said in the statement.
Hospitals and poison centers around the U.S., and particularly in areas with low rates of vaccination, have reported an increase of cases of poisoning by ivermectin, which is approved for human beings in lower doses against some parasites. It is not an anti-viral, and the FDA has strongly recommended against it to treat the coronavirus.
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