(Bloomberg) — From Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron, Europe’s leaders are increasingly going after anti-vaxxers as the battle against the omicron variant deepens the region’s pandemic fatigue. Officials are focusing restrictions on unvaccinated people rather than resorting to widespread clampdowns.
Number one tennis star Novak Djokovic is appealing a decision by Australia to cancel his visa on the grounds he already had Covid three weeks ago. Senior politicians have taken a strong stance against unvaccinated visitors as the country reported more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time in a single day, as a backlog of home test results were included in the tally.
Hong Kong ordered many of its own officials to quarantine due to possible Covid exposure, amid a scandal over a large birthday party they attended despite government warnings, though some may now avoid the spartan quarantine camp after a false positive test. In New York, a surge in virus cases among dockworkers in causing port logjams.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 303 million; deaths about 5.48 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.39 billion shots administered
- Anti-vaxxers slammed across Europe
- Hong Kong is at a Covid-19 tipping point
- NYC return plans on hold as Schwarzman cancels birthday bash
- Here’s a roundup of what’s been delayed in Hollywood
Logjam at New York Port (9:05am NY)
The Port of New York and New Jersey is working to clear a small but rare bottleneck of container ships anchored off the coast of Long Island. Hundreds of dockworkers are ill with Covid-19, or quarantining, while cargo volumes remain unusually high because of a pandemic-led surge in imports.
“We have seen a spike in the number of labor going out into quarantine,” Port Authority Director Sam Ruda said in an interview this week. The average wait at anchorage for container carriers was 4.75 days in the final week of 2021, compared with an average of 1.6 days for all of last year.
Brazil’s Bank Chief Tests Positive (8:53am NY)
Brazil’s central bank head Roberto Campos Neto — who is double vaccinated — has tested positive for Covid as a new wave of infections sweeps through the country.
German Cases Rise as Restaurants Complain (8:03am NY)
Germany’s seven-day incidence rate climbed to about 336 per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest since Dec. 16. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told the newspaper Welt am Sonntag that the government is preparing for the possibility that another variant may emerge that is “as contagious as Omicron, but significantly more deadly.” Germany needs a permanent infrastructure to vaccinate the population quickly, he said.
Separately, the country’s hotel and restaurant lobby said the government’s decision to limit dining access only to people with booster vaccinations or a fresh test is “a disaster” for many businesses. A survey among member firms showed that December sales were already 50% below levels in 2019. Only 40% of citizens have had a third vaccination, and queues for testing centers are long with limited opening hours, said Ingrid Hartges, Chief Executive of the association, Dehoga.
South Africa’s ANC Seeks Vaccine Mandate (7:49am NY)
South Africa must finalize a policy on vaccine mandates for certain settings and activities as it seeks to fully reopen its virus-battered economy, the nation’s ruling party said.
“The success of our economic recovery depends to a large measure on our ability to effectively manage Covid-19, as this virus is likely to remain part of our lives for the foreseeable future,” President Cyril Ramaphosa, who heads the African National Congress, said at a rally on Saturday.
The government started offering Covid-19 booster shots in December, even with only about 45% of adults fully vaccinated.
Iran Infections Fall (7:09am NY)
Iran’s daily new cases fell below 1,000 for the first time in more than 20 months, health ministry data showed. The country reported 701 new infections over the last 24 hours, the lowest since May 2020. About 60 percent of the population have received at least two doses of vaccines, helping to curb the spread of the virus from peak levels of more than 40,000 daily cases recorded in August.
Some Hong Kong Officials Avoid Quarantine (6:44 a.m. NY)
Some Hong Kong government officials who attended a large birthday party that emerged as a Covid-19 cluster may avoid the city’s spartan quarantine camp after a surprising turn of events in the scandal.
One of the two people who were at the party and tested positive for the virus was found to be a false positive, an infectious disease expert and a government health official said at a briefing on Saturday. This means about 80 of some 180 people who were at the event and in contact with the woman, an anchor for broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong, are not at risk of catching the virus, they said.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam ordered detailed investigations into government officials who attended the party. A large outbreak would undermine her ability to maintain a Covid Zero strategy.
Tennis Star Djokovic Had Covid Already (6am NY)
The case of Australia versus Novak Djokovic took another turn as the tennis star battles against a visa cancellation days before he is due to compete. Lawyers for the world’s number one ranked player said in court documents that he had a valid vaccine exemption to enter Australia based on a positive Covid-19 test on Dec. 16.
The Serbian has been held by authorities since Jan. 5 when he landed in Melbourne, where he’s seeking a record 21st Grand Slam victory. He will remain in detention following a court decision to adjourn his appeal. The proceedings will resume Monday.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said on Friday Djokovic “is not being held captive” and is “free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so and Border Force will actually facilitate that.”
Warning for Credit Suisse Chairman (5:53am NY)
Credit Suisse Group AG Chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio is likely to receive a warning, rather than a dismissal, after a probe into his repeated violations of quarantine rules last year, Tages Anzeiger reported.
The bank’s board of directors is expected to publicly issue a reproach of Horta-Osorio’s conduct in the coming weeks, the Swiss daily said, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter. The Portuguese banker was found to have breached Swiss and U.K. quarantine rules during the course of last year.
Food Promised for Chinese City in Lockdown (5:22am NY)
China vowed to ensure continuous food supply at stable prices after an outcry over shortages of produce in the coronavirus hotspot of Xi’an city in Shaanxi province, officials said at the State Council’s press conference on Saturday, while reiterating the government’s zero Covid policy.
The northwest epidemic center of Xi’an, which has been in lockdown for two weeks, has struggled to deliver daily necessities to its 13 million residents. The local government has taken measures to reduce prices for pork and vegetables, a commerce ministry spokesman said.
Hospitals in Shaanxi province have admitted 1,992 people infected with the virus. Serious cases account for 2.4% of the total, lower than the nation’s average of 7% since the second half of 2020, according to the press conference.
4th Vaccine Not Needed Yet, U.K. Says (5:12am NY)
A fourth Covid-19 vaccine is not yet needed in Britain as booster shots are still providing a high protection against severe disease from the fast-spreading omicron variant, the U.K vaccine panel said.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended the government prioritizes the third vaccine for adults, rather than begin a new vaccine drive for the vulnerable, after new data shows booster doses are working.
Protection against hospitalization for over-65’s remains at 90% three months after the third vaccine, according to data from the U.K. Health Security Agency. Protection against severe disease from two vaccine doses drops to 70% after three months and 50% after six months, the agency said.
Okinawa Cases Surpass Record (4:42pm HK)
Japan’s Okinawa prefecture reported 1,759 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, surpassing Friday’s record, according to NHK. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday that measures to curb the virus spread would be introduced in Okinawa, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi and stay in place for several weeks.
Vaccine Skeptics Slammed Across Europe (3:24 p.m. HK)
From Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron, Europe’s leaders are increasingly going after anti-vaxxers as the battle against the fast-spreading omicron variant deepens the region’s pandemic fatigue.
Amid a seemingly unstoppable surge in infections, officials are focusing restrictions on unvaccinated people rather than resorting to widespread clampdowns. The strong overall uptake in inoculations has emboldened leaders to go more aggressively after holdouts, prodding them to roll up their sleeves.
French President Macron took the rhetoric to a new level this week when he said his government’s strategy was to “p— off” those who have refused shots. In the U.K., Johnson accused anti-vaxxers of spreading “nonsense.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who supports making shots compulsory, has labeled the anti-vax movement “a tiny minority of reckless extremists.”
Germany’s seven-day incidence rate climbed to 335.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest since Dec. 16, according to Robert Koch Institute data Saturday. That compares with the nation’s pandemic record high of 452.4 reached on Nov. 29. Reported new deaths associated with the virus rose by 268.
Thailand Junks Quarantine-Free Visas (3 p.m HK)
Thailand indefinitely suspended a quarantine-free visa program for vaccinated visitors and ordered a ban on the sale of alcohol at restaurants in areas deemed at high risk of infections to curb the spread of the omicron variant.
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, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the task force, said at a briefing on Friday. Overseas visitors already holding valid visas for the quarantine waiver would still be able to enter the country, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement Saturday.
Travelers who had already received approvals under the government’s ‘Test and Go’ program may still enter the country with their approved length of stay, Thanakorn said, reversing a Friday announcement that set an entry deadline of Jan. 15. The government will closely monitor the situation and consider the number of cases and risk factors in adjusting measures, Thanakorn added.
The Southeast Asian nation reported 8,263 new infections on Saturday, the highest single-day tally since Oct. 31, and a fifth straight day of increase. Daily cases have jumped in the last week after falling to a six-month low before Christmas. Health officials have warned that cases may rise rapidly following the New Year celebrations and community spread of the omicron strain.
Philippines May Tighten Curbs as Cases Surge (2:45 p.m. HK)
The Philippines’ positive rate for Covid-19 reached a record 43.7% on Saturday, indicating that a little over two in five people tested for the virus actually have it, as the latest outbreak spreads. The health department reported 26,458 new confirmed infections and 265 deaths.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the government may further tighten movement restrictions in the capital region to the second-highest alert level as cases rise, particularly among healthcare workers, GMA News Online reported.
India Reports Over 100,000 Daily Cases (12:30 p.m. HK)
India’s health ministry reported more than 100,000 new cases for a second consecutive day, with the daily surge starting to look similar to levels in June. The country has announced mandatory home quarantine for anyone arriving in the country regardless of their test results and country of origin.
As the nation tries to avoid another deadly jump in virus infections, a number of states are taking measures to curb public gatherings that include bans on night travel and limits on gymnasiums and cinema hall operations. Local authorities in India are so far in favor of not opting for a complete shut down. Mumbai, India’s financial capital, reported nearly 21,000 new cases on Friday.
California Activates National Guard for Tests (11:35 a.m. HK)
Governor Gavin Newsom said he has activated the California National Guard to add testing facilities and capacity with the surge in cases. That will add to the existing 6,000 testing sites across the state, extended hours for these locations and the 9.6 million tests that the state has distributed to schools since early December. Omicron accounts for at least 80% of cases in the Golden State. More than 200 guard members are expected to be immediately deployed.
Australia’s Daily Infections Top 100,000 (10:46 a.m. HK)
Australia reported more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time in a single day, as a backlog of home test results were included in the tally and states began reintroducing restrictions to help hospitals hit by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Cases more than doubled in Victoria state to 51,356 on Saturday, as officials started counting results from rapid tests for the first time. Some 26,428 of the positive results came from the newly admitted tests, which were taken over the past week, according to Health Minister Martin Foley.
Nationwide, Australia recorded 116,025 new cases, including another 45,098 in New South Wales, where 1,795 people are hospitalized. The virus took nine lives in the state and in Victoria. The surge comes as states including Victoria and New South Wales moved to suspend non-urgent surgeries and implemented new limitations on socializing.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
