(Bloomberg) — Switzerland joined Spain and the U.K. in suggesting that the coronavirus pandemic may be shifting to an endemic phase. The White House is moving to prevent future shortages of Covid-19 tests by ensuring they continue to be produced in large numbers.
A South African trial will assess the safety and impact of varying doses of Johnson & Johnson’s and Pfizer Inc.’s vaccines as boosters for those infected with HIV. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized for attending a gathering during the country’s first lockdown, saying he thought it was a work event.
New York City’s contact-tracing program is shifting to a text-message-based system amid a 960% increase in new Covid-19 cases caused by the omicron variant, city health officials said Wednesday. Australia’s cases are surging and worsening worker shortages.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases top 313 million; deaths pass 5.5 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.52 billion shots administered
- Global supply chains brace for impact as omicron reaches China
- Hong Kong school shutdown decried by parents as ‘Groundhog Day’
- Covid test makers struggle to cope with whiplash from omicron
Swiss Add to Talk of Endemic Phase (10:30 a.m. NY)
Switzerland’s interior minister said the transition from pandemic to a stage where the country learns to live with Covid-19 like the flu may be in sight.
“We may be on the eve of a watershed, the transition from a pandemic phase to an endemic phase,” Alain Berset, whose ministry includes health, said at a media conference Wednesday.
Berset’s comments follow a call by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday to consider treating the crisis differently, given that the omicron wave of infections hasn’t led to an equivalent surge in hospitalizations and deaths. Britain’s Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, told the BBC on Sunday the U.K. is “on a path towards transitioning from pandemic to endemic.”
NYC Contact Tracing Shifts to Texts (10:20 a.m. NY)
New York City’s contact-tracing program is shifting to a text-message-based system amid a 960% increase in new Covid-19 cases caused by the omicron variant, city health officials said Wednesday.
The nation’s biggest city has thousands of contact tracers who previously made phone calls to infected and exposed people to trace transmission and identify case clusters. Despite the shift in method, the city isn’t shutting down its contact-tracing program.
Greece Extends Curbs by One Week (10:20 a.m. NY)
Greece is extending measures introduced to stem the spread of Covid-19 and the omicron variant by one week to Jan. 23, the country’s health ministry said Wednesday. The daily number of new coronavirus cases has fallen over the past week from a record high on Jan. 4 after the introduction on Dec. 29 of the measures that include the compulsory wearing of masks outdoors, and for restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs to close at midnight. A 100 euro ($114) fine for every month that people age 60 and over remain unvaccinated enters into force on Jan. 16.
Novartis Seeks Covid Drug Nod Before Last Test (8:09 a.m. NY)
Novartis AG will seek to bring its experimental Covid drug to patients without waiting for results from a large clinical trial, Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan said.
The Swiss pharma giant aims to request an emergency-use authorization for the compound with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the next month, Narasimhan said in an interview. A larger study to confirm promising data that emerged this week may be finished by the second half of the year.
“Our aspiration at the moment is to see if we get an emergency-use authorization and interest from certain governments to even utilize the medicine during these waves that are ongoing,” Narasimhan said.
Scholz Says Unvaccinated Put Others at Risk (8:08 a.m. NY)
Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a strong appeal for Germans to get vaccinated, saying failing to do so puts others at risk as the nation grapples with the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Speaking to parliament on Wednesday, Scholz reaffirmed his support for making shots compulsory for all adults, saying the measure is needed to ensure health-care services don’t get overwhelmed.
Germany posted a record increase in infections and the seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 people climbed back above 400 as the omicron variant spread in Europe’s biggest economy. The number of Covid patients in ICUs has nonetheless been steadily dropping from the latest peak last month.
Denmark May Reopen Cinemas, Museums (7:35 a.m. NY)
Denmark’s government is set to propose the reopening of cinemas and museums from next week, despite record high daily infections.
The Nordic country shut down cultural venues before Christmas to halt the spread of the omicron variant. But with recent data suggesting that patients are less likely to have severe illness, Danish health experts recommend a slow return to normalcy.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen supports the recommendation, she told reporters in Copenhagen. The government is expected to announce its decision later on Wednesday pending support from a majority in parliament.
France to Ease U.K. Travel Restrictions (7:20 a.m. NY)
France plans to ease restrictions at the border with the U.K. further in the coming days, according to a government spokesman.
The government hopes to be able to make an announcement by the end of the week, spokesman Gabriel Attal said in a briefing. The easing is justified because the omicron variant is now dominant among newly infected patients in France.
U.K.’s Johnson Apologizes About Office Party (7:15 a.m. NY)
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under scrutiny for office parties that broke Covid rules, apologized for attending a gathering during lockdown on May 20, 2020, saying he thought it was a work event.
Opposition politicians have called for Johnson’s resignation over the event, a “bring your own bottle” party at the height of a lockdown meant to stem the first pandemic wave.
Pfizer Says Covid Shot Safe With Other Vaccine (7:02 a.m. NY)
Pfizer said its Prevnar 20 pneumococcal vaccine and Covid shot were administered together to older adults in a clinical trial without adverse effects. The responses to Prevnar were similar whether the patients got a placebo or the pandemic injections.
Ireland to Ease Restrictions for Contact Cases (7:01 a.m. NY)
People in Ireland who have received a booster shot will no longer need to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone with Covid under changes approved by the government, according to national broadcaster RTE.
Anyone who is positive must now isolate for seven days rather than 10 under the plan due to come into effect from midnight Thursday, RTE said. Close contacts who have not received a booster will have to restrict their movements for seven days.
Pfizer, J&J Shots to Be Tested in HIV Patients (5:05 p.m. HK)
A South African trial will assess the safety and impact of varying doses of Johnson & Johnson’s and Pfizer Inc.’s vaccines as boosters for those infected with HIV as well as the wider population.
With about 13% of South Africa’s population infected with HIV, the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines in generating a response in immuno-compromised individuals has been a key concern. HIV causes AIDS, which weakens the immune system.
Israel Sees Cases Peaking in Two Weeks (4:47 p.m. HK)
Israel’s latest Covid wave will likely reach its peak — triggering somewhere between 800,000 and 2 million cases — in about two weeks, according to researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The scientists anticipate about 1,000 to 2,000 severe cases in the heavily vaccinated country. They recommended limiting gatherings in closed places in order to slow the pace of infections and ensure the continued functioning of the economy, as well as proper treatment of those who are hospitalized.
South Korea May Extend Distancing Rules (3:18 p.m. HK)
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party and government held a meeting to discuss whether to extend social-distancing rules that are scheduled to expire on Sunday, a ruling party spokeswoman said.
Biden Team to Prod Covid Test Production (3 p.m. HK)
The White House is moving to prevent future shortages of tests by ensuring they continue to be produced in large numbers even after the surging omicron variant recedes.
“We’re going to keep moving at this speed, and faster, to get volume up on a monthly basis,” Tom Inglesby, President Joe Biden’s newly appointed testing coordinator, said in an interview.
Biden is under pressure to bolster availability of testing as the highly transmissible omicron variant fuels a record number of coronavirus cases. Americans are waiting in long lines — sometimes for hours — to get tested, and quickly snap up the limited supply of at-home kits from store shelves, leading to widespread frustration that poses a political risk for the president.
India Cases Surge Over 300% in a Week (2:49 p.m. HK)
India reported a more than 300% weekly surge in coronavirus cases on Wednesday to the highest since May last year.
Hospitalizations in the capital Delhi rose to 2,161 from 782 a week ago, according to local government data. The federal government has asked local administrations to ensure hospitals have a 48-hour buffer stock of oxygen supplies.
Omicron Worsens Australia Worker Shortage (1:37 p.m. HK)
Australia was already facing a record shortfall of workers before spiraling omicron infections triggered widespread absenteeism.
Job vacancies climbed to a record, up 18.5% to almost 400,000 in the three months through November. With the virus now raging, a key industry body is warning that firms in food and logistics are reporting 10%-50% of their workers are sick or in isolation, leaving supermarket shelves empty.
The omicron variant represents about 90% of cases in New South Wales.
China Vice Premier Urges Action in Henan (1:31 p.m. HK)
Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called on authorities in Henan province in central China to adopt more targeted measures to curb infections after virus flareups there in recent days, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Hangzhou city in China’s southeast, meanwhile, will offer immigrant workers digital coupons to encourage them to stay in the city and avoid travelling during the Lunar New Year holiday, according to a report. Residents of three districts in the Northern Chinese port city of Tianjin were required to curtail movements and dine-in services and entertainment facilities were shut. Toyota Motor Corp. has stopped work at its plant in Tianjin since Monday.
Most Cases in Osaka Since September (1:24 p.m. HK)
Japan’s Osaka prefecture is expected to report about 1,700 coronavirus cases Wednesday, broadcaster NHK reported, the most since September. While Japan is still posting some of the lowest infection numbers among developed countries, Covid cases have started to pick up again in recent weeks.
Korea Approves Novavax Vaccine (1:13 p.m. HK)
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will allow the use of Novavax Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine, provided a report of the final clinical trial result is submitted, according to a statement. The vaccine is manufactured by SK Bioscience Co. in Korea.
Meanwhile, about 40 officials with Samsung Electronics Co., SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group who attended a trade show in Las Vegas last week were infected with Covid, Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, without citing anyone.
Philippines’ Public Transport Rules Tightened (11:52 a.m. HK)
The Philippines banned unvaccinated people from public transport in the capital following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to restrict their movement as infections surge.
Commuters are required to show proofs of vaccination before riding buses, jeepneys, trains and other public transport in Metro Manila, the transportation department said Wednesday. The “no vaccination, no ride” policy will be in effect while the capital is under Alert Level 3, the third-highest in a five-step scale.
Djokovic Awaits Australia Visa Decision (11:47 a.m. HK)
Novak Djokovic’s shot at a record 21st Grand Slam victory rests on the shoulders of one Australian minister. Immigration chief Alex Hawke is still weighing whether he’ll exercise special personal powers that allow him to cancel Djokovic’s visa and spoil his hopes of winning the Australian Open this month.
Djokovic, meantime, admitted on Wednesday that he attended a newspaper interview and photo shoot when he knew he was infectious with Covid-19 and blamed “human error” for an incorrect travel declaration.
China Hands Out Jail Terms for Virus Lapses (10:22 a.m. HK)
China has sent three people to prison for up to four-plus years over breaches of rules that led to a virus outbreak, in one of the harshest punishments for lapses in enforcing the government’s strict Covid-zero policy.
The violations at a cargo company in Dalian, a port in the northeast, included failing to ensure employees wore masks, avoided visiting public venues after hours, and were properly quarantined and tested, the Global Times reported late Tuesday. Those oversights allowed four people to infect 83 others.
China Border With Vietnam Reopens (10:13 a.m. HK)
China’s Guangxi region resumed customs clearance Jan. 10 at three border crossings with Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh after thousands of transport trucks were stranded for weeks.
Okinawa Sees Medical System Limits (10:05 a.m. HK)
Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, the site of the nation’s biggest Covid outbreak, saw the number of health-care workers taking sick leave climb to a record of 503, Kyodo News reported. That’s forced 15 medical institutions to limit the capacity of emergency patients they take in.
The prefecture is home to the bulk of American troops in Japan, and the U.S. agreed to limit military personnel’s movements off base in the country after regional governors blamed them for helping to introduce the omicron variant.
J&J Vaccine Gets Warning on Bleeding (8:28 a.m. HK)
The fact sheet for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has been revised by U.S. regulators to warn of the risk of a rare bleeding disorder.
The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter to the company on Tuesday that adverse-event reports suggested an increased risk of immune thrombocytopenia during the 42 days following vaccination. Symptoms include bruising or excessive or unusual bleeding, according to the agency.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
