(Bloomberg) — Israel, an early leader in Covid-19 inoculations, reported a record number of daily infections, giving fresh impetus to the vaccine booster drive it began at the start of August.
The European Union reached a goal of fully vaccinating 70% of its adult population, according to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. Taiwan bought 20 million vaccine doses from Moderna Inc. and signed a non-binding agreement with AstraZeneca Plc for more purchases as it diversifies suppliers.
Singapore sent 500,000 vaccine doses to Australia in a swap deal that would provide the city-state with booster shots in December, even as the island nation battles a current outbreak. In Ireland, the cabinet meets Tuesday to discuss a proposal to end most pandemic restrictions.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 217.2 million; deaths pass 4.51 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 5.26 billion doses administered
- Alpha, delta and more. Why virus variants cause alarm: QuickTake
- Back-to-school blues hit Europe’s airlines ahead of long winter
- Southeast Asia added 70 million online consumers during pandemic
- Call for Covid probe sparked a hacking nightmare in Australia
Italy Expands Use of Passports Amid Protests (10:40 a.m. NY)
Italy will require travelers on planes, ferries, and long-distance trains and coaches to show proof of vaccination or of a recent negative Covid test. The so-called green pass, a digital certificate also given to those who have recovered from Covid, will be required also for school and university personnel. University students attending in-class lessons will also be asked to show proof of vaccination.
The long-announced measures have been criticized by anti-vaccine activists, who are organizing protests to block the country’s main railway station on Wednesday. Doctors and journalists have also been targets of online intimidation and hate campaigns.
Colorado Requires Vaccine for Hospital Staff (8:56 am NY)
In Colorado, a state panel approved emergency rules requiring vaccinations for staff in hospitals and other licensed health-care settings, officials said. An estimated 30% of Colorado’s health-care workers have yet to be vaccinated, according to state data. The panel voted late Monday.
EU Reaches Vaccination Milestone (5:38 pm HK)
The European Union’s vaccination campaign reached an important milestone on Tuesday, announcing that 70% of adults in the bloc have now been fully vaccinated, meeting a target that it had previously set.
“I call on everyone who can to get vaccinated,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This is the only way to protect yourself and the others.”
Taiwan to Buy Moderna Shots (4:14 p.m. HK)
Taiwan bought 20 million doses of vaccine from Moderna Inc. and signed a non-binding agreement with AstraZeneca Plc for more purchases, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing Tuesday. Chen said more vaccines are needed and Taiwan wants to diversify its suppliers in case of delivery hiccups.
Israel Cases Hit Record (3:12 p.m. HK)
Israel recorded 10,947 new cases on Monday, the highest for a single day since the start of the pandemic. The country began a booster drive at the beginning of the month, and eligibility has been gradually expanded to include the entire population aged 12 and over.
Israel had one of the earliest vaccine drives, and health officials said this week that the effects of the shots weaken five months after inoculation. The previous record for daily cases was in January, when 10,118 were reported, according to Ynet news.
Still, the percentage of positive tests on Monday was 7.65%, high for the current wave but only about half the level at the end of last September. Serious cases reached the highest since February on Sunday, but remain well below January levels.
Ireland Plans End of Most Restrictions (2:28 p.m. HK)
Ireland’s cabinet meets Tuesday to consider a proposal that would end almost all pandemic-related restrictions by Oct. 22. The proposal includes a phased return to the workplace from Sept. 20, according to national broadcaster RTE.
The unwinding of restrictions from Sept. 6 would be contingent on the level of Covid cases and on 90% of adults being fully vaccinated. Measures would include indoor venues being able to use as much as 60% of capacity and outdoor venues 75%, for those who are fully vaccinated. Masks are still likely to be required in the health and retail sectors and on public transport, RTE said.
SK, Glaxo Start Final Vaccine Trial (2 p.m. HK)
South Korean drugmaker SK Bioscience and GlaxoSmithKline are beginning a final stage clinical trial on another vaccine candidate. The study will enroll 4,000 participants and compare the shot to that of AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University, Glaxo said Tuesday. The U.K. drugmaker is providing an adjuvant, which is a substance that can enhance the response to vaccines.
India Deaths Vastly Exceed Official Rate (12:52 p.m. HK)
India’s total death toll from the virus could be about 4.5 million, according to a new study by the U.S.-based National Bureau of Economic Research, which estimated Covid mortality in India from February 2020 to May 2021.
That’s compared with the latest official total of 438,560 deaths released by the federal health ministry today. India added 30,941 new cases on Tuesday, pushing total infections to almost 32.8 million, the ministry said. More than 640 million vaccine shots have been administered.
The NBER report is the latest estimate to question whether the government has been under-reporting deaths in the world’s second-worst-hit nation.
Duterte to Revise Strategy as Cases Surge (12:15 p.m. HK)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he plans to revise the nation’s pandemic response after coronavirus cases surged by to a record on Monday. “We need to recalibrate our response,” Duterte said in a televised briefing. The government is studying “whether granular or localized lockdowns will work best.”
Cases will continue to rise in the country and will likely peak in mid-September, the Health Department said, after daily infections hit 22,366 on Monday. The rise in cases has slowed in the capital region in the past two weeks following a strict lockdown, but infections in areas outside Metro Manila are increasing due mainly to the delta variant. Only about 18% of the country’s adult population have been fully vaccinated.
Singapore Prepares for Boosters (11:30 a.m. HK)
Singapore, which has fully vaccinated more than 80% of its population, is sending 500,000 Pfizer shots to Australia this week in return for receiving the same number back in December, when “they will have more potential use for us as booster shots,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post.
Singapore has the best vaccination rate in the world among economies of more than 1 million people and is pursuing a policy of gradually opening its trade-dependent economy while trying to minimize deaths or serious illness from Covid. Australia’s inoculation rate is well behind, with just 27% fully vaccinated, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Delta Hits China’s Services Sector (10:23 a.m. HK)
China’s economy took a knock from the delta virus outbreak in August, with the services industry contracting for the first time since February last year and manufacturing hit by supply-chain problems.
The official non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, which measures activity in the construction and services sectors, slumped to 47.5, signaling a contraction for the first time since the initial virus cases in the first quarter last year.
New Zealand Cases Fall a Second Day (9:22 a.m. HK)
New Zealand added another 49 new cases, bringing the total in a community outbreak to 612, the health ministry said. It’s the second straight day the number of new infections has fallen, giving hope to the government’s lockdown to pursue a zero-Covid policy.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said restrictions will be partially eased outside of Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, amid signs that the spread of the virus is being brought under control.
Australia Outbreak Worsens (9:00 a.m. HK)
Australia’s months-long outbreak of delta variant cases is worsening, despite half the nation’s population being in lockdown.
New South Wales state, the nation’s largest, recorded its fourth straight day of over 1,000 cases. More than 21,200 people have been infected since mid-June after authorities failed to contain a surge seeded from an unvaccinated chauffeur who was transporting flight crew in Sydney.
Australia’s capital Canberra extended its lockdown by two weeks until at least Sept. 17, after recording 13 cases on Tuesday. The tiny territory, located inside New South Wales state, issued stay-at-home orders on Aug. 12 after finding its first virus case in over a year.
Victoria state will deliver on Wednesday a plan to introduce “modest changes” to begin reopening after a monthlong lockdown, state Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Thai Cases Decline, Rules Relaxed (8:59 a.m. HK)
Thailand’s 14,666 new cases on Tuesday are the lowest since July 27, and the fourth straight day of declines. From tomorrow, the country’s strictest restrictions in 29 provinces, including Bangkok, will be relaxed. Restaurants will be allowed to offer dine-in services, more businesses in shopping malls will reopen and domestic flights will resume.
The Thai government last week approved a “living with Covid” strategy, allowing the economy to reopen provided that the healthcare system doesn’t get overwhelmed. The nation still has 171,368 active cases, with just over 5,000 in critical condition.
Paramount Sues ‘Mission Impossible’ Insurer (6:10 a.m. HK)
Paramount Pictures Corp. is the latest entertainment company to go after its insurer over Covid-19-related coverage, suing a Chubb Ltd. unit for failing to fully pay claims related to delays and interruptions caused by the pandemic in the production of “Mission: Impossible 7.” Chubb said it’s company policy not to comment on pending legal matters.
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