(Bloomberg) — Daily infections in South Africa, where the omicron variant was first identified, almost halved, though hospital admissions and deaths rose significantly. Singapore expects more cases after discovering its first suspected local omicron cluster.
The new variant accounted for 73% of all Covid-19 infections last week in the U.S., with almost all of the remaining cases being delta. President Joe Biden tested negative after spending time with an aide who was later found to be infected.
New Zealand delayed its border reopening due to omicron, while Australia’s prime minister said his country needed to live with the virus. A new study fueled concerns about the effectiveness of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 booster against the new variant.
Key Developments:
Virus Tracker: Cases pass 275 million; deaths top 5.36 million
Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.75 billion shots given
Omicron cancellations starting to pile up: here’s a short list
U.S. school closings surge 82% as omicron spreads
Omicron suddenly upends the world’s return to the office
What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake
Clusters at Hotels in Taiwan (2:50 p.m. HK)
Local governments aim to complete comprehensive checks on quarantine hotels by Jan. 3 with a focus on air-conditioners, after two cluster infections were found at quarantine hotels recently, according to a statement from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
The government will establish detection and response mechanism for suspected cluster infection at quarantine hotels. Seven imported cases of Covid-19 were reclassified as local cases earlier due to infections at quarantine hotels.
Australian Modeling Points to Crisis (2:23 p.m. HK)
Omicron cases are set to overwhelm Australia’s health system unless restrictions like density and visitor limits are reintroduced, according to modeling prepared for a Wednesday meeting of state, territory and federal leaders, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Doherty Institute modeling also recommends bringing forward booster shots, suggesting that cases could hit 200,000 a day from late January or early February, unless restrictions are brought back, according to the report. Hospitalizations could jump to 4,000 a day, with 8,000-10,000 patients in intensive care.
Minimal public health safety measures and a rapid booster program may enable control of the outbreak by the end of March, the newspaper said.
Thailand Mulls Stricter Entry Rules (1:30 p.m. HK)
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha has called an urgent meeting of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration this afternoon to discuss a proposal to cancel quarantine-free entries amid climbing omicron variant infections.
A jump in imported omicron cases has cast doubt on the nation’s program for vaccinated tourists from more than 60 jurisdictions.
A suspension or cancellation of the quarantine-free entry would threaten the nascent recovery of tourism-reliant Thailand, where the government forecasts as many as 15 million tourists in 2022 can provide revenues of up to 1.8 trillion baht ($53.8 billion).
Mixed Signals in South Africa (11:56 a.m. HK)
South African new Covid-19 infections almost halved to 8,515 from a day earlier, though hospital admissions and deaths over the same period rose significantly, according to a report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Singapore’s Omicron Cluster (11:31 a.m. HK)
Singapore reported its first suspected local omicron cluster, a group of three Covid-19 infections traced to a gym, the health ministry said in a statement late Monday.
The potential within the community is likely to prompt further concerns about new reversals in the city-state’s reopening as its worst virus surge yet subsides. Singapore maintains vaccinated travel lanes with several countries where omicron has spread rapidly, including the U.S. and Europe’s largest travel hubs.
The city-state also announced that bookings for vaccination appointments for kids age 11 and under will start tomorrow.
AstraZeneca’s Waning Protection (11:29 a.m. HK)
Protection from two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine starts trailing off three months after the second shot, the Financial Times reported, citing research published in the Lancet. The waning protection also applies to severe disease caused by Covid-19, according to the report, underscoring the importance of boosters.
Omicron wasn’t circulating at the time that the data from 2 million people in Scotland and 42 million people in Brazil was collated.
China’s Outbreak Creeps Higher (11:15 a.m. HK)
China’s local Covid-19 outbreak is growing, with the epicenter now in the central city of Xi’An, which had 42 cases on Tuesday, according to the National Health Commission. Only eight cases were found in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, which had previously detected over 300 cases.
With the winter Olympics about two months away, Beijing has temporarily suspended road passenger transportation to the city for people who traveled from cities or counties with one or more cases within 14 days, a transport ministry official said at a press conference on Monday.
Ice Hockey Shutdown (11:10 a.m. HK)
The NHL will start a league-wide shutdown Wednesday through Saturday after an increase of positive virus cases among players, the AP reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of discussions. Five more games will be postponed because of the move to begin the annual holiday break two days early, according to the report.
N.Z. Delays Border Reopening (9:24 a.m. HK)
New Zealand is pushing back the phased reopening of its border until the end of February due to the threat of the omicron variant.
“Waiting till the end of February will increase New Zealand’s overall protection and slow omicron’s eventual spread,” Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Tuesday in Wellington.
Previously, the government said vaccinated New Zealand citizens could return from Australia without undergoing managed isolation from Jan. 17. Hipkins said the rapid spread of omicron, particularly in Australia, has forced a rethink.
Australia Won’t Lockdown (9:20 a.m. HK)
Australia’s Prime Minister reiterated that the country is not going back to lockdowns despite surging case numbers, instead calling for individuals to take personal responsibility for their health by getting vaccinated and taking precautions like wearing a mask.
“We’re not going back to lock downs. We’re not going back to shutting down peoples’ lives,” Scott Morrison told reporters Tuesday. “We’re going forward to live with this virus with common sense and responsibility.”
The country’s most populous state, New South Wales, reported a record 3,057 new cases on Tuesday, with 284 people in hospital and 39 in intensive care. In the second-biggest state, Victoria, cases remained relatively steady at 1,245, with 329 people hospitalized and 73 active ICU cases.
Broadway Show Closed (9:17 a.m. HK)
The rapidly-spreading omicron variant has now closed its first Broadway show. “Jagged Little Pill,” a musical based on the songs of Alanis Morissette, ended performances on Saturday and will not reopen, the New York Times reported.
Other New York musicals including “Hamilton” have had to cancel individual performances, while NBC’s Saturday Night Live broadcast its most recent show with a limited cast and crew and no audience.
Omicron Hits U.S. Military in Okinawa (9:11 a.m. HK)
The governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture wants American military personnel banned from leaving Camp Hansen after an outbreak of the omicron variant on the base, the Okinawa Times reported.
Governor Denny Tamaki will speak to Japan’s vice minister of foreign affairs and to the commander of marine forces in Japan about the matter by phone on Tuesday, the newspaper said. There have been more than 180 cases reported on the base and four omicron infections detected in the wider community.
Omicron Troubles for Sinopharm (8:44 a.m. HK)
Sinopharm’s Covid-19 booster shot generated “significantly lower” levels of antibodies against the omicron variant, in a study offering further clues on how one of the world’s most widely used vaccines stands up against the new strain.
A study of 292 healthcare workers given a booster eight to nine months after their second dose found that omicron caused a 20.1-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies, compared with the performance against the original Wuhan strain.
The findings, which have yet to be peer-reviewed, will fuel concerns that the inactivated vaccine from the Chinese developer may offer inadequate protection against omicron infection even after a third dose, at a time when many countries are rolling out booster campaigns.
Missouri Blocks Contractor Vaccine Mandate (8:41 a.m. HK)
A federal court in Missouri blocked the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for government contractors in 10 states, becoming the latest to grant an injunction as part of a series of challenges to the president’s power to set workplace requirements via executive order.
The ruling will apply to contractors in Arkansas, Alaska, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Biden Tests Negative (8:15 a.m. HK)
President Joe Biden spent time on Friday with an aide who tested positive for coronavirus infection three days later but has so far tested negative himself, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The aide was in proximity to Biden for about 30 minutes aboard Air Force One on Friday, Psaki said. The aide is fully vaccinated and has had a booster shot, and tested negative before boarding the plane.
But the unidentified aide began experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 on Sunday and tested positive on Monday, Psaki said. Biden is also fully vaccinated and has received a booster.
Indonesia Mulls Tougher Quarantine (8:04 a.m. HK)
Indonesia could further extend the mandatory quarantine period to 14 days for incoming foreign travelers to stem the spread of the contagious omicron strain in the country.
The period is currently set at 10 days, which was already extended from the initial seven days earlier this month.
The government is preparing a new quarantine facility to accommodate the longer quarantine and widening its travel ban to foreigners coming from the U.K, Denmark and Norway.
Thailand Approves Shot for Kids (8:04 a.m. HK)
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years to shield them against Covid-19. Before the approval, Pfizer shots were used among children aged 12 years and older, according to the agency’s statement.
N.Z. Approves Ronapreve (7:48 a.m. HK)
New Zealand Ministry of Health’s medicine regulatory arm Medsafe approved a new medicine Ronapreve that can both prevent and treat Covid-19. Ronapreve is a monoclonal antibody drug that mimics the body’s natural defences for fighting disease.
It is known to be effective against the delta variant and research is now focusing on its effectiveness against the omicron variant, according to Medsafe.
Madison Square Garden Shows (4:30 p.m. NY)
MSG Entertainment, which last week said it would cancel the “Christmas Spectacular” Rockettes shows at Radio City due to Covid outbreaks, said Monday’s Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Garden and other shows and events will go on.
A spokesperson for the company said the company’s event schedule is proceeding as normal despite the spike in Covid cases in New York City. That includes big events like the WWE Live Holiday Tour on Dec. 26 and a four-night Phish run at The Garden on Dec. 29.
London Cancels Celebration (4:15 p.m. NY)
London Mayor Sadiq Khan canceled the New Year’s Eve celebration in Trafalgar Square, which was set to welcome 6,500 people, due to a surge of omicron infections. He urged residents to instead to stay at home and watch a live broadcast planned for the night.
“With infections of Covid-19 at record levels across our city and the U.K., I’m determined to work closely with partners in our city to do everything we possibly can to slow the spread of the new variant,” Khan said in a statement.
