(Bloomberg) —
Tennis star Novak Djokovic may be able to stay in Australia and contest another Grand Slam victory after a court quashed the cancellation of his visa on Covid grounds.
European Union member states have agreed to lift their air travel ban on southern African countries as omicron continues to surge around the world. Germany may need to tighten restrictions before its next scheduled pandemic-policy meeting, a health expert said. In Ireland, health officials are set to consider mandatory vaccination against Covid-19, according to a newspaper report. A new study showed high levels of protective immune cells that fight some common colds also made people less likely to contract Covid-19.
Omicron has flared in a Chinese port city that borders Beijing and spread inland, seeding the variant on the doorstop of the nation’s capital less than one month before the winter Olympics begin. Officials have told the 14 million residents of the city not to leave unless it’s essential as 21 new locally confirmed Covid cases in Tianjin triggered mass testing, closed schools and halted travel.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 306.6 million; deaths pass 5.48 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.42 billion shots administered
- Omicron absenteeism poses fresh test to U.S. economic strength
- Awash with vaccines, nations struggle to get them in arms
- Hong Kong is at a Covid-19 tipping point
- Covid test makers struggle to cope with whiplash from omicron
- Most U.S. Covid hospital patients since start of pandemic
Ikea Cuts Sick Pay for Unvaxed U.K. Workers (8:19 a.m. NY)
Ikea has imposed a financial penalty on U.K. employees who don’t get Covid-19 shots and miss work because they have to self-isolate.
The furniture retailer is cutting sick pay for staff who can’t work because of close contact with an infected person to 96.35 pounds ($131) a week for the required 10-day isolation period — less than a fourth of average weekly wage before taxes, The Guardian newspaper reported on Monday. Ikea said it couldn’t immediately comment.
Bangladesh Introduces New Virus Restrictions (8:15 a.m. NY)
The Bangladesh government has ordered people to show vaccine certificates to dine in restaurants and stay in hotels, starting Jan. 13, as virus cases surge. Buses and trains must operate at half capacity, according to a notice issued by the Cabinet Division on Monday. The government also banned all open-air social, political and religious events and made it compulsory to wear masks outdoors. Covid-19 cases rose by 2,231 in a day to about 1.6 million on Monday.
Japan PM May Extend Ban on Foreign Arrivals (7:47 a.m. NY)
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce an extension to the ban on foreign arrivals this week, Nikkei reported, without saying how it obtained the information.
EU Replaces Africa Travel Ban With Testing (7:45 a.m. NY)
The decision lifts the so-called emergency brake introduced in November, the French government, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a tweet. Travelers from the region will still be subject to health measures applicable to travelers from third countries.
European nations had suspended most air travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe as scientists scrambled to assess the severity of the omicron variant.
Sweden Orders Restaurants to Close Early (7:05 a.m. NY)
Sweden will introduce new restrictions to curb an unprecedented surge in Covid infections, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Monday.
Restaurants won’t be allowed to seat groups larger than eight and will have to close by 11 p.m. Public events with more than 50 people are only permitted if attendees present proof of vaccination. The curbs take effect on Wednesday.
Cold-Triggered T Cells Fend Off Covid (6:01 a.m. NY)
Researchers found higher levels of T cells against certain colds in people who didn’t develop Covid while living with someone who had the disease, according to a study led by the U.K.’s Imperial College London. The prior illnesses were caused by other coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2.
The findings provide further evidence of the protective effects of T cells, an arm of the immune system that’s gaining attention as the pandemic stretches into its third year and new variants like omicron erode vaccine protection.
European Omicron Peak Seen by March (5:42 p.m. HK)
The omicron wave is likely to peak in Europe by March, an epidemiologist and pandemic adviser to the French president said. While the variant is almost certain to become dominant across Europe, the wave of cases is likely to peter out in the next six weeks, Arnaud Fontanet said.
“The Omicron wave is going to be relatively short in time,” he said. “I would expect by March the peak of the wave will be gone.”
The epidemiologist urged people to reduce contacts to help stop the spread. A 20% reduction in contacts could reduce hospitalizations by a factor of 2, he said.
Spain to Buy Pfizer’s Covid Drug (5:41 p.m. HK)
Spain will buy about 344,000 doses of Pfizer’s antiviral pill, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in an interview with radio station Cadena Ser. The government will also regulate the prices of antigen tests, which have surged this past month.
Indonesia to Ease Curbs in Java-Bali (5:38 p.m. HK)
Indonesia plans to ease restrictions across Java and Bali islands with a review set for next week, said Luhut Panjaitan, coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs who’s overseeing the pandemic response. The government will shift its priority from hospitals to at-home care as omicron cases have been mild and most are found among travelers from overseas.
H.K. Requires Govt Staff to Get Vaccinated (5:37 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong’s government will require all its staff to get vaccinated before Feb. 16, local media outlet HK01 reported, citing unidentified people. Those unvaccinated will be barred from work. Separately, Hong Kong will reduce government quarantine for close contacts of Covid cases to 14 days from 21 days due to the increasing pressure at quarantine facilities, health official Chuang Shuk-kwan said at a briefing.
Uganda Reopens Schools After Two Years (4:14 p.m. HK)
Uganda reopened schools Monday that were closed for nearly two years to slow the spread of Covid-19 as most educators have been partially inoculated against the virus and stringent safety measures have been put in place.
With one of the youngest populations in the world, Uganda had at least 15.2 million learners in education institutions by March 2020, when they were shut due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
Bangladesh to Keep Schools Open Amid Surge (4:03 p.m. HK)
Bangladesh will keep schools open despite a fresh surge in cases, Education Minister Dipu Moni said Monday, adding that students 12 and above will require at least one vaccine dose to be allowed back to in-person classes.
Unvaccinated students will only be allowed to attend online classes, Moni said. The country reported 1,491 new virus cases on Sunday. Bangladesh opened up vaccinations for children above 12 in November.
Singapore Deaths Lowest Among Moderna Takers (3:47 p.m. HK)
Singapore saw the fewest deaths among those with the Moderna Inc. shot and the most among those with Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine, as the city-state’s highly inoculated population provides a glimpse into how different immunizations are holding up in the real world. The data is likely to add to further concerns about the effectiveness of the widely-used Chinese vaccine, which studies have found to be inadequate against the omicron variant.
Novartis to Push Forward With Covid Drug (3:34 p.m. HK)
Novartis AG will push forward with a potential Covid medicine after promising results showing a lower risk of bad outcomes for patients who took the antiviral in a mid-sized study.
Patients who took the therapy, ensovibep, had a 78% lower risk of needing an emergency health-care visit, being hospitalized or dying in the 407-person study. The compound also cleared the main hurdle of the study, which was to reduce the amount of virus in the body over eight days.
If it’s approved, Novartis’s antiviral will be the first to attack the coronavirus’s spike protein in multiple ways, potentially making it more effective against a range of current and future variants.
Singapore Committed to Reopening Borders (3:25 p.m. HK)
Singapore is committed to steadily reopening its borders and aims to set up more quarantine-free travel agreements, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said in Parliament on Monday as the Asian country battles a rising number of cases.
“Our goal is to restore quarantine-free travel with more countries and regions as allowed for by the public health assessment,” he said. “We remain confident of the long-term potential of air travel and are resolutely committed to working with Changi Airport Group and airline partners to rebuild and reclaim Singapore’s status as an international air hub.”
Ireland Said to Consider Mandatory Vaccination (3:08 p.m. HK)
Irish health officials are set to consider mandatory vaccination against Covid-19, with a paper being prepared on the legal and ethical aspects, the Irish Times reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
Some ministers want to remove the current 8 p.m. limit on trading hours, according to the newspaper.
Ireland reported 21,384 cases of Covid-19 on Jan. 9, following a record of 26,122 on Jan. 8. There were 83 confirmed cases in intensive care. 92% of people over 12 were fully vaccinated as of Jan. 8, according to government data.
Germany Eyes Tighter Curbs as Cases Surge (2:57 p.m. HK)
Germany may need to tighten restrictions before the next scheduled pandemic-policy meeting on Jan. 24, according to a health expert from the Green party, a member of the ruling coalition. Test requirements for people who haven’t yet gotten booster shoots may need to be widened nationwide to fitness studios and other areas, Janosch Dahmen told Deutschlandfunk radio.
On Monday, the country reported 375.7 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days, the highest level in nearly a month. Given the controversy over a general vaccine mandate, the government should move ahead with making shots compulsory for more public-sector employees such as police and teachers, Dahmen said.
Advantage Djokovic (2:47 p.m. HK)
Novak Djokovic may be able to stay in Australia and contest a record 21st Grand Slam victory after a court quashed the cancellation of his visa and ordered his immediate release from detention in a hotel.
Judge Anthony Kelly said the world mens’ tennis No. 1 didn’t have enough time to fully respond after officials notified him early on Thursday morning that he had insufficient proof to enter the country under current Covid rules. In the late Monday afternoon decision via a virtual hearing, he ordered the government to pay the star’s costs and release him.
South Korea Braces for Omicron (2:41 p.m. HK)
South Korea expects omicron to become the dominant variant by the end of this month. It’s preparing for the potential onslaught by increasing the number of PCR tests that can be conducted in a day as well as boosting supply of hospital beds.
While both the U.S. and South Korea confirmed their first omicron cases on Dec. 1, South Korea has seen a muted spread with omicron accounting for a total of about 2,000 Covid cases since then, possibly due to travel restrictions including a mandatory 10-day quarantine for arrivals regardless of vaccination status.
India Case Surge Hits Domestic Travel (1:54 p.m. HK)
Daily infections soared to the highest in seven months as the country added 179,723 new cases on Monday, the most since May 29.
The rising numbers is hitting domestic travel, as India’s largest budget airline Indigo plans to reduce about 20% of its operations. More than 400 staff in India’s parliament in New Delhi have also tested positive, news agency ANI reported.
Singapore Tells Holdouts to Get Inoculated (1:41 p.m. HK)
Singapore’s health minister Ong Ye Kung said vaccines that are available in the country have been far more effective than doing nothing at all, as he implored holdouts to get vaccinated in the face of an expected omicron wave.
Nearly 70% of those who died from Covid last year in the city-state weren’t fully vaccinated, according to Ong, despite the unvaccinated making up a far smaller percentage of the population. About 87% of the total population was vaccinated as of the end of the year, according to Ministry of Health data.
Hong Kong to Add Vaccination Centers (11:56 a.m. HK)
The city will add 22 clinics administering Sinovac shots starting Jan. 21, the government said, adding it plans to open two more community inoculation centers at the end of January. The Asian financial hub found a new preliminary case linked to a scandal-hit birthday bash that’s ensnared a minister in government quarantine as the city rushes to contain an omicron outbreak.
Philippines Daily Cases Soar to a Record (10:30 a.m. HK)
The Southeast Asian country reported record-high daily infections over the weekend, breaking the peak reached during the delta variant-driven surge last year. More than half of beds in hospitals’ intensive care units and wards in the capital are again occupied, with most severe and critical cases among the unvaccinated, prompting the government to restrict movement.
Australia’s Victoria State Requires Boosters (9:54 a.m. HK)
Australia’s Victoria state will force workers in critical service sectors to get a booster shot within the next month as it expects the latest surge in virus cases to peak by early February, health minister Martin Foley said Monday. Healthcare, emergency services and food distribution workers — including truckers, meat processors, fisherman and dock hands — will be required to have a third vaccine dose by mid-February, and other sectors are likely to follow, he said. The state recorded 34,808 new infections on Monday. Covid patients in hospitals have almost doubled to 818 in a week, with authorities expecting hospitalizations to peak next month.
Health authorities are wanting to “stretch out” and “top off” the infection and hospitalization curve to protect the state’s “extremely stressed” healthcare system, Foley said. While omicron appears less severe, “the weight of numbers is what threatens the critical services like hospitals and GPs,” he said.
Taiwan Brings Back Mask Mandate (9:52 a.m. HK)
The government reimposed its mandate on face coverings in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year festivities. The new rules are part of a range of tighter restrictions imposed by health authorities in Taipei over the weekend in an effort to slow the spread of an outbreak centered around Taoyuan International Airport, the main gateway in and out of Taiwan. The government reported 11 new local cases Sunday, the highest daily total since Aug. 29.
Masks are now required once again for all activities outside the home, except for eating and drinking, swimming and farm work. Revelers at New Year banquets will be barred from walking around the room toasting each table individually. Travelers arriving on long-haul flights will have to wait at the airport until the results of their Covid tests are released before heading to their quarantine hotels.
Chicago Schools Cancel Classes (9:49 a.m. HK)
Schools have been closed in the nation’s third-largest district since Wednesday after Chicago Teachers voted to shift back to remote learning. The union has insisted that the district put in place more stringent protections.
Deltacron Variant Is No Error (8:12 a.m. HK)
A Cypriot scientist defended his assertion that a new strain of Covid-19 exists that combines characteristics of the delta and omicron variants. Other scientists have speculated that Leonidos Kostrikis’s findings are a result of laboratory contamination. But he told Bloomberg News in an emailed statement Sunday that the cases he has identified “indicate an evolutionary pressure to an ancestral strain to acquire these mutations and not a result of a single recombination event.”
Deltacron infection is higher among patients hospitalized for Covid-19 than among non-hospitalized patients, so that rules out the contamination hypothesis, said Kostrikis, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus and head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology.
Tianjin Requires Covid Testing (7:36 a.m. HK)
CCTV reported that authorities have tightened coronavirus checks in railway and highway links between Tianjin and neighboring Beijing. At least two districts in Tianjin have suspended classes and lockdown measures were imposed on schools in the city.
Eighteen of the 20 cases that tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday in Tianjin have been confirmed as local infections and the rest were asymptomatic, CCTV said.
Australia Hospital Pressure (7:26 a.m. HK)
Australia’s New South Wales will treat some Covid-19 patients in private hospitals starting Monday to alleviate pressure on the government-run system, according to Susan Pearce, the health deputy secretary of the country’s biggest state. The measure is “pre-emptive and protective,” she said.
The issue is not hospital bed availability but staffing those beds, as the system has some health workers furloughed with Covid-19 or after being exposed, according to Pearce. The state’s hospital and ICU admissions continue to surge as omicron spreads through the community. Hospitalizations have climbed to 2,030, from 1,204 a week earlier.
Half of the 159 people in intensive care with Covid-19 in the state are unvaccinated, NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said Monday. The state has a vaccination rate of 93.7% for people aged 16 and over. Australia will start vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 from Monday.
Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive for Covid (7:17 a.m. HK)
The congresswoman, who is fully vaccinated and has had a booster shot, is “experiencing symptoms and recovering at home,” her office said. Ocasio-Cortez, 32, was embroiled in a social-media war over Covid-19 in late December during a trip to Florida with her boyfriend. She was photographed having drinks outside, provoking criticism that she wasn’t abiding by strict pandemic safety rules she advocates.
Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tested negative and was cleared to return to work, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby tweeted.
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