(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden said his administration is considering starting booster shots for people as soon as 5 months after they receive their second vaccine dose, possibly accelerating the plan for shots 8 months after full vaccination.
Louisiana Children’s Medical Center will put its six New Orleans-area hospitals into lockdown Sunday morning in anticipation of a storm that’s forecast to become Hurricane Ida. The storm is headed toward New Orleans just as Louisiana and surrounding states buckle under rising Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations.
The U.K. government’s scientific advisers said cases are likely to rise exponentially among children when schools resume next month. Scotland reported a record number of new infections after restrictions were lifted and schools reopened.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 214.8 million; deaths pass 4.47 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 5.11 billion doses administered
- Most big hedge funds mandate vaccinations for return to offices
- The worst places to be as delta spreads are in southeast Asia
- The hybrid work revolution is already transforming economies
- September promised return to normal that continues to elude U.S.
Biden Says Boosters May Begin Earlier (12:12 p.m. NY)
President Joe Biden said his administration is considering starting booster shots of the coronavirus vaccine for people as soon as 5 months after they receive their second dose, possibly accelerating the plan for shots 8 months after full vaccination.
Biden, speaking Friday during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, said he talked with infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci about the possible change earlier in the day.
Some Curbs Reinstated in Sicily (12:05 p.m. NY)
Italy’s Health Ministry said it will reinstate some mild Covid restrictions in Sicily due to an increase of cases on the island. Masks must be worn outside as well as inside and restaurants will be allowed a maximum of 4 people per table, not counting families.
Overall virus cases in the country remain low at 7,826 new cases registered on Friday and 45 daily virus deaths.
Storm Heads Toward Covid-Wracked U.S. South (10:39 a.m. NY)
Louisiana Children’s Medical Center will put its six New Orleans-area hospitals into lockdown Sunday morning in anticipation of a storm that’s forecast to become Hurricane Ida.
Ida is headed toward New Orleans just as Louisiana and surrounding states buckle under rising Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations.
Louisiana currently has more than 2,700 Covid patients in hospitals, according to the state’s department of health. Meanwhile, Ida’s top winds could reach 115 miles (185.07 kilometers) per hour when it comes ashore and small towns on the U.S. Gulf coast have already told residents to evacuate.
“To have these disasters layered on top of each other is a big strain,” said Kevin Smiley, a professor at Louisiana State University who studies disasters and health.
Nebraska Limits Elective Surgery (10:45 a.m. NY)
Facing hospital staff shortages aggravated by Covid-19, Nebraska is limiting elective surgeries that can be delayed four or more weeks and easing some personnel licensing requirements, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Governor Pete Ricketts, a Republican, said the declaration isn’t specific to Covid-19 and that hospital staffing “was a challenge we had before the pandemic.”
U.K. Scientists Predict School Spread (10:30 a.m. NY)
The U.K. government’s scientific advisers said Covid-19 cases are likely to rise exponentially among children when schools resume next month after the summer holidays.
Most U.K. children haven’t been vaccinated against coronavirus and it would be “sensible” for the government to plan for “high prevalence” in schools by the end of September, according to a document dated Aug. 11 that was released on Friday by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
New China Shot Works Against Serious Illness (7:43 a.m. NY)
A vaccine from China’s Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. showed 82% effectiveness against serious Covid-19 infections.
In late-stage clinical trials, the vaccine — dubbed ZF2001 — has been shown as 92.93% effective against the alpha variant and almost 78% against the more-infectious delta version, the company said Friday.
Scotland Reports Record Covid Infections (7:39 a.m. NY)
Scotland reported a record number of daily coronavirus infections after restrictions were lifted and schools reopened.
There were 6,835 cases in the past 24 hours, more than at any time since the pandemic began and twice the number a week ago, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at a briefing on Friday.
One third of new cases in Scotland are among those people who are vaccinated, she said. The numbers don’t bode well for the rest of the U.K. as the bulk of school pupils in England prepare to return early next month.
Germany Says Spain No Longer High Risk (6:43 a.m. NY)
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute removed Spain and the Lisbon metropolitan area from its Covid-19 high-risk list. Chile is also no longer considered high risk, the institute said.
Indonesia Fatalities at Seven-Week Low (6:04 a.m. NY)
Indonesia reported 599 deaths on Friday, the lowest number since July 5, even as new cases continued to rise.
As many as 12,618 people infected in a 24-hour period, taking the total to 4.06 million.
Sri Lanka Extends Lockdown (6:09 a.m. NY)
Sri Lanka extended an island wide lockdown that began on July 20 by a week to Sept. 6, as a third wave of Covid-19 infections fueled by the delta variant continues to hit hospitals. The nation on Thursday reported 209 fatalities, a new daily record.
China Gives Booster Shot Go-Ahead (5 p.m. HK)
China has approved additional shots for people at high risk of contracting Covid-19.
Those at risk – including workers at health care and quarantine facilities, patients with weak immune systems, aviation and customs workers and people over the age of 60 – are eligible for a booster shot six months after they are fully vaccinated, said Zheng Zhongwei, who heads the task force overseeing Covid-19 vaccine research and development
Denmark to Phase Out Last Pandemic Curbs (4:52 p.m. HK)
As of Sept. 10, Danes will no longer have to present their so-called corona passports at public events, the government said in a statement on Friday.
“The epidemic is under control and we have record high vaccination rates,” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said.
Singapore Rolls Out Covid Test Kits (4:35 p.m. HK)
Singapore’s health officials will start distributing self-test kits for Covid-19 and begin to close some vaccination centers, the government said, as the country approaches the milestone of inoculating 80% of the population.
South African Vaccinations Reach Record (4:39 p.m. HK)
South Africa’s daily vaccinations rose to a record on Aug. 24, according to reconciled figures, indicating that the nation’s faltering inoculation program is back on track. On that date, a total of 273,640 shots was administered.
France to Add Turkey Back to Covid Red List (3:04 p.m. HK)
The reinforced measures will be in place for travel to France from Turkey as of Aug. 28 at 11:59 p.m., according to statement on the website of the French embassy in Turkey on Friday.
Chinese Shots Hold Up Against Delta: Study (3:30 p.m. HK)
China’s inactivated vaccines maintained their protective power during a recent Covid-19 outbreak in the province of Guandong, providing evidence of their ability to stave off the delta variant.
The immunizations from state-owned Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. had a combined effectiveness of 70% against pneumonia caused by Covid and completely protected against severe disease caused by the delta variant, according to a pre-print study from researchers with the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The paper hasn’t yet been reviewed by outside experts.
Thailand Set to Reopen Malls, Restaurants (3:20 p.m. HK)
Thailand will relax some of its quasi-lockdown restrictions on Sept. 1 to allow more travel, and shopping malls and restaurants to reopen after its worst wave of infections showed some signs of easing.
The country’s virus task force approved a plan that will allow gatherings of up to 25 people — from five currently — the resumption of domestic flights as well as reopening of public parks and hair salons in 29 provinces that have been under the most-stringent measures, according to a statement on Friday.
Taiwan Reports Zero Local Covid Cases (2:20 p.m. HK)
Taiwan reported zero local cases on Friday, for the second time this week, according to statement from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
Europe to Have Adequate Booster Doses (2:05 p.m. HK)
European Union countries will not face shortages if and when they decide to deliver booster shots of vaccines to their citizens, according to the European Commission’s Thierry Breton. The bloc is producing 300 million doses a month, Breton said in an interview on France2 TV.
Previous Covid Prevents Delta Better (2 p.m. HK)
People who recovered from a bout of Covid-19 during one of the earlier waves of the pandemic appear to have a lower risk of contracting the delta variant than those who got two doses of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.
The largest real-world analysis comparing natural immunity — gained from an earlier infection — to the protection provided by one of the most potent vaccines currently in use showed that reinfections were much less common. The paper from researchers in Israel contrasts with earlier studies, which showed that immunizations offered better protection than an earlier infection, though those studies were not of the delta variant.
People given both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were almost six-fold more likely to contract a delta infection and seven-fold more likely to have symptomatic disease than those who recovered.
Ardern Extends New Zealand Lockdown (11:40 a.m. HK)
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended a national lockdown for a further four days as a coronavirus outbreak continues to grow, but said some restrictions outside largest city Auckland will be eased next week.
The strict Level 4 lockdown will remain in place until midnight on Aug. 31. For Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, and the neighboring Northland region, Level 4 is likely to stay in force for another two weeks. However the rest of New Zealand can move to Level 3 — a slightly milder lockdown in which some businesses can resume operations — from Sept. 1, Ardern said.
Australia to Add 12- to-15-Year-Olds to Rollout (9:40 a.m. HK)
Australian children aged between 12 and 15 will be eligible to book Pfizer vaccinations from Sept. 13 after health authorities approved its use, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday.
The move follows a decision earlier this month to allow 16 to 39 year-olds to get Pfizer doses. Still, there’s no guarantees younger Australians will quickly be able to get vaccinated, with the nation’s rollout hampered by a lack of supply that’s been blamed by health experts on Morrison failing to sign enough contracts with a broad enough range of drug-makers.
About a quarter of Australians are now fully vaccinated. Morrison is trying to ramp up the program so the nation can start lifting lockdown restrictions that are currently impacting more than half its 26 million people, amid an outbreak of the delta variant that’s infecting hundreds of Sydney residents a day and spreading to other parts of the continent.
Court Lifts Moratorium on U.S. Evictions (9:30 a.m. HK)
A divided U.S. Supreme Court lifted the Biden administration’s moratorium on evictions, ending protections for millions of people who have fallen behind on rent payments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the three liberal justices dissenting, the court sided with challengers who said the moratorium exceeded the authority of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s authority and was subjecting landlords to unwarranted hardships.
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