(Bloomberg) — The White House is warning lawmakers that the U.S. doesn’t have enough money on hand to respond to future variants, stockpile vaccines or develop new technologies.
California will rely on wastewater testing and the ability to quickly ramp up vaccinations to deal with future waves of the coronavirus, under a plan officials unveiled Thursday. A New York City anime convention likely wasn’t an omicron superspreader event, as many had feared.
Police in Canada’s capital city have begun blocking off the downtown core with barriers and fences, in a move against protesters who have occupied the streets for almost three weeks.
Hong Kong has plans to mass-test the whole city with Beijing’s help.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 419.2 million; deaths top 5.8 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 10.5 billion doses administered
- Hospitals under siege show Hong Kong squandered its Covid edge
- Americans who have made it through omicron are eager to travel
- Oil’s spectacular Covid crash set the world up for $100 crude
- What Africa is doing to tackle its coronavirus vaccination gap
White House Warns on Covid Funding (5:36 p.m. NY)
The White House is warning lawmakers that the U.S. doesn’t have enough money on hand to respond to future Covid-19 variants, stockpile vaccines or develop new technologies.
Biden administration funds for pandemic response — including testing, vaccine distribution and other medical supplies — have been either spent or set aside already for purchases, according to a document obtained by Bloomberg News. All funds provided so far have been spent or earmarked for use.
California Shifts to New Phase Against Virus (5:28 p.m. NY)
California will rely on wastewater testing and the ability to quickly ramp up vaccinations to deal with future waves of the coronavirus, under a plan officials unveiled Thursday.
With the omicron variant rapidly fading in the state, Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to lay the groundwork for a return to something like normal life after two years of lockdowns and mask mandates.
The plan — given the acronym SMARTER — says the state will negotiate with manufacturers to maintain a supply of tests that can be quickly deployed in case wastewater scans detect new outbreaks. California, which lost more than 82,500 people to the virus, will also maintain a stockpile of 75 million high-quality masks for rapid distribution and wants to maintain the ability to administer 200,000 vaccine doses per day.
Masks Not Optional at State of the Union (4:03 p.m. NY)
All members of Congress will be allowed to attend President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address, but they must follow Covid-19 health guidelines, including masking, or risk being tossed from the event and fined.
A memo Thursday by House Sergeant at Arms William Walker lays out the rules for the March 1 address to a joint session of Congress, including limiting lawmakers to one non-transferable ticket and requiring they attest to negative Covid-19 results.
Walker’s memo states that attendees must adhere to social distancing guidelines and lawmakers — who cannot bring guests — will be spread out through the chamber, including the viewing balcony typically reserved for journalists and guests.
N. Carolina Governor Urges End to Mask Mandates (3:53 p.m. NY)
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper urged local governments and school districts to drop mask mandates.
“It’s time to focus on getting our children a good education and improving our schools, no matter how you feel about masks,” the Democratic governor tweeted.
North Carolina has not had a statewide mask mandate since mid-2021, though local governments and schools are permitted to impose their own rules. Cooper called lifting masking rules “a positive step” toward “a more normal day-to-day life.
Police Begin Fencing Off Downtown Ottawa (2:13 p.m. NY)
Police in Canada’s capital city have begun blocking off the downtown core with barriers and fences, in a move against protesters who have occupied the streets for nearly three weeks.
“Only those with lawful reason to enter the core, such as residents, businesses and others with lawful reasons, will be allowed in the area,” Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said on Twitter. “The unlawful protesters must leave the area and will not be provided access.”
For a second consecutive day, Ottawa police handed out flyers warning of criminal charges and vehicle seizures for anyone who doesn’t leave the protest zone. The area has been declared a prohibited public assembly under emergency legislation invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday.
Meantime, Canada’s national police service is sending to banks the names of people involved in protests that have paralyzed the nation’s capital, a first concrete step in the financial crackdown on demonstrators.
NYC Anime Show Not Omicron Superspreader (1:04 p.m. NY)
A New York City anime convention held late last year likely wasn’t an omicron superspreader event, as many had feared, new reports show.
One of the first confirmed U.S. cases of the omicron variant was found in early December in a Minnesota man who attended the convention, raising concerns about a mass outbreak at the gathering of some 53,000 fans of the film and TV animation style. Studies released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found no evidence of widespread transmission at the convention beyond a cluster of of the Minnesota participant’s close contacts.
Among results obtained for 4,560 attendees, 2.6% tested positive, according to the CDC. Of 20 specimens analyzed genetically, 15 cases were linked to delta, the dominant variant preceding omicron.
Colorado Ends Crisis Declaration (11:26 a.m. NY)
Colorado health officials Thursday ended a Covid-19 crisis declaration aimed at plugging hospital staffing shortages and allowing ambulance providers to impose stricter screening of 911 calls for assistance.
The “crisis standards of care” provided guidelines for allocating resources and “the decision to deactivate these standards is based on recent modeling and steadily declining cases and hospitalizations,” Eric France, the state’s chief medical officer, said in a printed statement.
Portugal to End Work-From-Home Guidance (9:13 a.m. NY)
Portugal plans to lift several restrictions in the coming days as the number of daily Covid-19 infections drops.
The government will no longer recommend that people work from home and the need to show a negative Covid-19 test to access sports venues, bars and nightclubs will be dropped, Presidency Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said after a cabinet meeting on Thursday. The government plans to lift more restrictions as the number of deaths from Covid-19 declines, she said.
EU Regulator to Consider Merck Pill (8:22 a.m. NY)
European Union drug regulators said they will discuss Merck & Co.’s antiviral pill next week amid a report that the drug faces potential rejection.
A panel of the European Medicines Agency will consider the drug’s effectiveness at the meeting, Marco Cavaleri, the regulator’s head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy, said at a briefing on Thursday. He declined to comment on the robustness of the evidence to back the pill.
The U.S. drugmaker has been developing molnupiravir with partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP. The pill is only about 30% effective at preventing Covid deaths and hospitalizations among high-risk patients, compared with about 90% efficacy for Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid, studies have shown.
Dominican Republic Drops Restrictions (6:30 p.m. HK)
The Dominican Republic will drop all domestic restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic after a successful vaccination campaign helped contain infection and death rates on the Caribbean island.
President Luis Abinader said that the required use of a face mask, social distancing measures and Covid passports to enter public places will all be dropped immediately.
Japan Eases Virus Entry Ban (6:29 p.m. HK)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rolled back some of the developed world’s most stringent virus border measures as he seeks to tread a narrow path on pandemic policy that brought down his two predecessors.
Japan will end a ban on new entry by foreigners and ease quarantine rules, Kishida said at a news conference Thursday. From March 1, new foreign entrants except for tourists will be admitted, he said.
The move illustrates the premier’s attempts to balance the views of a public that wants to maintain strict Covid border controls and business groups that have lobbied for a relaxation of curbs to let in workers needed for their operations.
Yellen Calls for New Pandemic Fund (5:15 p.m. HK)
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged her counterparts from leading industrialized countries to support the establishment of a new World Bank fund intended to prevent and prepare for future global health crises.
A new “financial intermediary fund” under the auspices of the World Bank would help address gaps in preparedness, particularly among low-income countries, Yellen said, according to prepared remarks she’s scheduled to deliver virtually on Thursday to a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from Group of 20 countries.
Hong Kong Plans to Mass-Test (11:30 a.m. HK)
Hong Kong is planning a testing blitz of the entire city, deploying a tactic used to root out Covid-19 cases on the mainland as the financial hub struggles to get control over its most challenging outbreak of the pandemic.
Chinese medical experts will likely be brought in to assist in the effort, according to people familiar with the administration’s thinking, and government vans currently used for vaccinations will be converted to mete out tests, one of the people said.
Officials are still deciding whether to make the mass testing compulsory, the people said, with Sing Tao Daily reporting those who refuse may be subject to a HK$10,000 ($1,280) fine. The push will begin in early March and be conducted over weeks, other local media said.
Hong Kong reported 6,116 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Thursday as the city’s worst outbreak of the pandemic continues to spread. Public hospitals are in “major crisis,” Hospital Authority Chief Manager Sara Ho said.
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