(Bloomberg) — Moderna Inc. Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel, said another round of vaccine boosters against Covid-19 will probably be needed this fall. With the pandemic in its third year, global cases of coronavirus have now passed 300 million.
In Europe, Germany is poised to tighten restrictions on access to restaurants and cafes in an effort to curb the rapidly spreading omicron strain. U.K. armed forces were deployed to London hospitals to help relieve staff shortages caused by the outbreak of the variant.
More than two dozen Hong Kong officials have been ordered to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure, as a scandal over a large birthday party they attended despite the government’s own pandemic warnings widened. Meanwhile, India reported more than 100,000 new cases, the highest daily total since June last year.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 300 million; deaths pass 5.47 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.36 billion shots administered
- Big Take: Covid’s Lost Girls see decades of progress come undone
- Australia Says Djokovic Not Held ‘Captive’ in Refugee Hotel
- Vaccines can delay women’s periods, study finds
- China cases span country, even after Xi’an’s drop
Greece May Expand Mandatory Shots (6:18 a.m. NY)
Greece is considering the expansion of mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations to people aged 50 to 59, Alternate Interior Minister Stelios Petsas said Friday in an interview with Greece’s Skai TV. The government will make relevant announcements in the coming days, he said. Vaccinations are currently compulsory in Greece for individuals aged 60 and above, with a 100 euro fine for every month of non- compliance.
Armed Forces at London Hospitals (6:15 a.m. NY)
The U.K. sent 200 armed forces personnel into hospitals in London to help relieve staff shortages due to a surge in the omicron Covid-19 variant.
The Ministry of Defence said it will provide 40 medics and 160 general-duty personnel for three weeks to ensure National Health Service hospitals in the capital are able to cope with soaring numbers of cases.
Moderna CEO Sees Boosters in the Fall (6:09 a.m. NY)
Moderna Inc. Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said another round of vaccine boosters against Covid-19 will probably be needed this fall, even if the super-infectious omicron variant helps move the planet more quickly into a stage of living with the virus.
Sinopharm Says Protein Booster Better (6:12 p.m. HK)
China’s state-owned vaccine maker Sinopharm said its new protein subunit Covid-19 inoculation offers better protection as a booster against the omicron variant than its widely deployed inactivated shot.
Masks in Schools Are Weak Shield: Study (5:50 p.m. H.K.)
England introduced new mask rules in schools to curb the spread of Covid based on a study that didn’t provide conclusive evidence of their effectiveness, according to a report published by the Department of Education.
EU Says 80% of Adults Now Vaccinated (5:50 p.m. HK)
About 80% of adults in the European Union have now been vaccinated, the European Commission said on Twitter. “Our priority is still to increase vaccination rates across the EU,” it said.
Spike Disrupts Airlines, Tests in Philippines (4:32 p.m. HK)
A surge in Covid-19 cases has prompted airlines in the Philippines to cancel flights, while the health department warned of delays in virus test results amid staff shortage in laboratories.
S. African Study to Compare J&J, Pfizer Shots (4:16 p.m. HK)
Researchers have started recruiting South African health workers to take part in a vaccine trial that will compare the use of Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. Covid-19 shots as boosters. The health workers being targeted for the study were part of an initial trial known as Sisonke that saw almost half a million people given an initial dose of J&J’s vaccine.
HK Officials Quarantined as Scandal Widens (3:53 p.m. HK)
More than two dozen Hong Kong officials have been ordered to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure, as a scandal over a large birthday party they attended despite the government’s own pandemic warnings widened.
All of the some 100 guests at a celebration thrown for a representative for a mainland Chinese agency were being sent to the quarantine camp in Penny’s Bay, local media including South China Morning Post reported Friday. Some of Hong Kong’s most senior politicians along with more than 20% of its new “patriots-only” legislature will be confined to 200-square-foot (20-square-meter) rooms with no wifi access, just as the government fights an outbreak of the infectious omicron variant.
Germany to Restrict Restaurant Access (3:07 p.m. HK)
Germany is poised to tighten restrictions on access to restaurants and cafes in an effort to keep the rapidly spreading omicron strain of the coronavirus in check.
In a video call later on Friday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and regional leaders are expected to agree that people who are vaccinated or recovered will still have to provide a negative test. They’re seeking to tackle the latest surge in infections without resorting to sweeping lockdown measures like shuttering businesses and schools.
Swiss Plan for Nuclear Worker Infections (2:54 p.m. HK)
Switzerland’s nuclear power plants are preparing emergency plans to have employees housed on site if staff shortages caused by omicron become too dire, the Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger reported.
The risk is low, but the plan would avoid operational downtime at the plants, which are among the most important sources of electricity for the country.
Thailand Junks Quarantine-Free Visas (2:53 p.m. HK)
Thailand indefinitely suspended a quarantine-free visa program for vaccinated visitors and ordered a ban on alcohol sales at restaurants in areas deemed at high risk of Covid infections to curb the spread of omicron.
The nation’s main virus task force spared Bangkok, Phuket and six other tourist destinations from harsh containment measures, but banned alcohol consumption at restaurants and other commercial establishments after 9 p.m.
India Infections Highest Since June (1:54 p.m. HK)
India reported 117,100 new infections Friday, crossing the 100,000-mark for the first time since June 7. Reported deaths rose by 302 to 483,178. The nation’s total confirmed cases stands at 35.2 million.
While the country’s latest wave of infections worsens and states and city administrations impose movement restrictions, the financial hub of Mumbai has no plans to impose a further lockdown, according to the city’s municipal commissioner, Iqbal Singh Chahal. Most patients who needed medical help were not vaccinated, he said.
Separately, India’s cumulative coronavirus deaths probably reached between 3.1 million and 3.4 million by July 2021, six or seven times higher than official tallies, according to a new study published in Science.
U.S. to Reportedly Ship 500 Million Tests to Homes (10:31 a.m. HK)
The White House and U.S. Postal Service are making final plans to deliver 500 million coronavirus test kits to households, the Washington Post reported, citing four unidentified people familiar with the plans.
The Biden administration will launch a website to let individuals request rapid tests, and officials aim to begin shipments by mid-January, the newspaper said.
New South Wales Reimposes Restrictions (10:14 a.m. HK)
New South Wales authorities suspended non-urgent elective surgery, and banned singing and dancing in hospitality venues as omicron cases surge.
The changes follow 70,000 infections in two days in the state and a jump in hospitalizations. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet urged people to minimize mingling.
Shenzhen to Require Negative Test for Departures (9:38 a.m. HK)
Shenzhen authorities said anyone leaving the city will require a negative Covid test after two infections were detected.
The change in the major technology and trade hub takes effect on Saturday, according to a government statement. China is one of the only countries left practicing a zero-tolerance Covid strategy that relies on strict border controls, extensive testing and lockdowns.
Australia Says Djokovic Not Held ‘Captive’ (8:16 a.m. HK)
The Australian government insists world tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic isn’t being held against his will as the vaccine-mandate critic remains confined in a hotel used to detain refugees and asylum seekers.
Djokovic “is free to leave at any time that he chooses,” Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Friday.
Chicago School Cancel Classes for Third Day (7:38 a.m. HK)
Chicago Public Schools canceled classes on Friday for the third straight day as district officials negotiate with the teachers’ union over returning to in-person instruction amid surging Covid cases.
A “small number” of schools may be able to offer in-person activities if enough staff are reporting to work, the district said in a post on Twitter.
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