(Bloomberg) — New Zealand will start reopening its border to foreigners next month, ending the restrictions that kept Covid-19 out for much of the pandemic and joining a push around the world to allow travel to resume.
Pfizer Inc. asked U.S. regulators for clearance of an additional booster shot for seniors. Hong Kong can’t commit to reopening its borders and lifting a flight ban on nine countries, its transport and housing secretary said. Nearly half of the city’s population has likely caught the virus, according to one estimate.
China eased its quarantine rules a bit, halving the duration of mandatory home isolation for discharged Covid patients to seven days. Infections in Asia’s biggest economy jumped the most since the early days of the pandemic on Tuesday, and cities across the country responded with additional curbs.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 460 million; deaths top 6 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 11 billion doses administered
- Ardern Opens Border to Foreigners as ‘Fortress New Zealand’ Ends
- Pfizer Asks FDA to Clear Another Booster For Older Adults
- Serious Covid Linked to Higher Risk of Depression Months Later
- Europe Is Getting Caught by a Covid Resurgence After Rushed Exit
- Vietnam’s Tourism Restart Hobbled By Uncertain Rules, Virus Rise
UBS Cuts China GDP Forecast on Covid, War (10:56 a.m. HK)
UBS Group AG cut its China gross domestic product growth forecast for 2022 to 5% from 5.4% due to the damaging impact of the latest Covid outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We think Covid restrictions may tighten in more cities and last longer in the coming months, which would dampen consumption recovery,” UBS economists led by Tao Wang wrote in a report distributed Wednesday. Beijing’s official target for GDP growth this year is about 5.5%.
No Hong Kong Promises on Reopening (10:52 a.m. HK)
Hong Kong can’t commit to reopening its borders and lifting a flight ban on nine countries, Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan says as the city faces a widespread Covid outbreak with tens of thousands of new cases a day.
Hong Kong only in a position to reopen when Covid infections, serious cases and fatalities decline, Chan says in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Stephen Engle.
Philippine Capital to Stay Under Loosest Curbs (8:17 a.m. HK)
The Philippine capital will remain under the loosest movement restrictions from March 16 to 31, as the government seeks to boost economic activity amid declining Covid-19 infections.
Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of the nation’s economic output, will stay under Alert Level 1 where businesses can fully operate, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement. Forty-seven other areas were also placed under the lowest alert level. The restrictions are reviewed every two weeks.
China Eases Covid Quarantine Rules (7:49 a.m. HK)
China has halved the duration of mandatory home isolation for discharged Covid patients to seven days, according to a revised notice posted on the State Council website late Tuesday. They were previously required to stay home for 14 days, according to a separate report by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Pfizer Asks FDA to Clear Another Booster (7:45 a.m. HK)
Pfizer Inc. said it has asked U.S. regulators for clearance of an additional Covid-19 booster shot for seniors, in a bid to protect vulnerable adults as immunity provided by the first three doses wanes.
The New York-based drugmaker and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Tuesday that they have sought an emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a second booster of their vaccine, Comirnaty, for people 65 and older who have already received a booster of any of the authorized Covid-19 vaccines.
New Zealand Reopening Border (7:41 a.m. HK)
New Zealand will begin reopening its border to the world next month, ending the “fortress” settings that kept Covid-19 out for much of the pandemic.
Vaccinated Australians will be allowed to enter without needing to isolate on arrival from 11:59 p.m. on April 12, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday in Wellington. The border will open to visitors from other visa-waiver countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Singapore and Germany from midnight May 1, she said.
“We’re ready to welcome the world back,” Ardern told a news conference.
Hong Kong to Close Beaches (6:29 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong will close its beaches starting Thursday, local media reported, days after a social media outcry tied to pictures of the city’s residents enjoying the sand and waves as authorities locked down the neighboring Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen.
Beaches will be cordoned off to prevent the public from entering, a flashback to last summer when they were closed for several months because of an earlier flareup. The city’s renowned country parks also shut down all barbecue and camping sites.
Hong Kong announced 27,765 cases and 228 deaths on Tuesday.
Shanghai’s Pudong Encourages Work From Home (3:29 p.m. HK)
Shanghai’s Pudong district is encouraging companies to adopt flexible working arrangements as the city combats a worsening Covid outbreak.
Companies are encouraged to let employees work from home, according to a statement on Pudong government’s official WeChat account. Shanghai reported 105 local Covid cases and international flights are being diverted away from the city to ease pressure on quarantine hotels and isolation facilities.
Amazon, Walmart Orders Likely Delayed by Lockdowns (3:25 p.m. HK)
Orders placed with global e-commerce platforms from Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. may be delayed by lockdowns and restrictions in some of China’s key manufacturing hubs, according to an industry body.
Shenzhen, home to around half of all the online retail exporters in China, was locked down for at least a week on Sunday to try to contain a spreading outbreak. Its 17.5 million residents were told to work from home, with all non-essential businesses and public transport shut. In nearby Dongguan, a key hub for shoes, toys and textiles, factories in areas where there are virus cases have been told to close, and schools and restaurants are effectively shuttered.
“Shenzhen now has pressed the pause key, with operations halted for almost all sectors, and we are no exception,” said Wang Xin, head of the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association. Wang’s organization represents some 3,000 exporters in the city, China’s main tech hub.
Nearly Half of H.K. Population Already Has Covid: Study (1:14 p.m. HK)
About half of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people have already been infected with Covid-19, according to an estimate of the damage caused by the deadly omicron wave that’s overwhelmed the city.
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong determined that about 3.6 million Hong Kongers caught the disease through March 14. That’s up from an estimated 1.8 million infections they concluded had developed through March 7 based on disease modeling and an in-depth analysis of the ongoing outbreak.
While the current wave peaked on March 4, many more people will catch Covid before it ends, the researchers said. The total is likely to reach about 4.5 million, they said. More than 5,100 people will die from Covid by May 1, the researchers forecast, up from an earlier estimate of about 5,010.
South Korea May Lift Limit on Restaurant Hours: Munhwa (12:11 p.m HK)
South Korean authorities are discussing an easing of social distancing measures including lifting the limit on people in private gatherings and allowing cafes and restaurants to stay open later, Munhwa Ilbo newspaper says, citing an unidentified government official.
Under current rules, restaurants and cafes are allowed to operate through 11 p.m. while private gatherings of up to 6 people are allowed. The government could announce that the new rules would be effective from March 21, after existing measures expire, the newspaper said.
Why China Is Sticking With Its Covid Zero Strategy: QuickTake
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