(Bloomberg) — A majority of U.S. employers are planning or considering requirements for a Covid shot by year-end. Pfizer Inc. dosed the first participant in a late-stage trial of its experimental oral antiviral treatment. Hospitalizations in the U.S. are falling for the first time since June.
The World Health Organization opened a new hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence in Berlin. South Africa may limit the use of public amenities to people who have been vaccinated. And Denmark will start offering the Johnson & Johnson shot to seafarers docking in the country.
Australia’s Covid-Zero policy came under renewed pressure after a second state indicated it was abandoning attempts to eliminate the delta variant.
Businesses around the world are signaling that innovative new communications tools are making many pre-pandemic-era trips history. A Bloomberg survey of 45 large companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia shows that 84% plan to spend less on travel.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 217.8 million; deaths pass 4.52 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 5.31 billion doses administered
- CEOs doom business-travel revival with budgets slashed worldwide
- There’s a market for $8K-a-week nurses in U.S. as delta spreads
- Covid vaccines are lucrative. That’s a problem: David Fickling
- Alpha, delta and more. Why virus variants cause alarm: QuickTake
U.S. Hospital Use Falls; First Time Since June (10:50 a.m. NY)
Hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients in the U.S. are declining for the first time since late June, a sign that the latest surge may have peaked — at least for now.
The seven-day average of new daily admissions with confirmed Covid fell 2.4% from a week earlier to 12,280, the first such drop since June 27, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Scotland to Use Vaccine Certificates (9:56 a.m. NY)
Vaccine passports will be needed for admission into nightclubs and large events in Scotland starting later this month after the country emerged again as Europe’s coronavirus hot spot.
The plans will apply to indoor and outdoor events and will need the approval of lawmakers in the Edinburgh legislature next week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday. Scotland is responsible for its own health policy and has diverged from the U.K. in some of its handling of Covid.
Pfizer Advances Antiviral Testing (9:37 a.m. NY)
Pfizer Inc. dosed the first participant in a late-stage trial of its experimental oral antiviral in adults who are at low risk of developing severe Covid.
The study will evaluate 1,140 participants getting the experimental protease inhibitor and the HIV medicine ritonavir. Half will receive a placebo, and the remainder will get the drug combination twice a day for five days from the confines of their home or a non-hospital facility.
The New York-based drugmaker is running a parallel study in adults who are at high risk of developing severe disease. Results could be available this fall.
WHO Opens Pandemic Intelligence Hub in Berlin (9 a.m. NY)
The World Health Organization opened a new hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence in Berlin, saying the center will help give countries the fast analysis they need to respond more quickly to public-health emergencies.
The German government is providing $100 million in initial funding for the project, which will seek to combine case and lab data with other information sources, including economic factors, cultural beliefs and human-animal interactions.
Moderna, Takeda Say Deaths Unrelated to Vaccine (8 a.m. NY)
Moderna and its Japanese distributor Takeda said two deaths in recently-vaccinated men were not related to the biotech’s shot and are considered coincidental. A formal investigation is still needed to confirm the analysis, Takeda said in a statement.
Switzerland Postpones Vaccine Pass Decision (7:42 a.m. NY)
Switzerland’s Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said 60 million francs ($65.5 million) have been earmarked to support the country’s beleaguered tourism sector.
With the infection rate stabilizing, even at a high level, the government postponed a decision to require a proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid or a negative test to enter restaurants and fitness centers. Hospital intensive-care units have come under pressure in recent days, and just 52% of the Swiss are fully vaccinated.
Denmark to Offer Visiting Sailors a J&J Shot (7:06 a.m. NY)
Denmark will start offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to seafarers docking in the country, regardless of nationality, for a fee. The industry lobbied the government for the program, citing the challenges seafarers face getting a shot and the large numbers who haven’t been vaccinated. About 3,000 are expected to get the single-dose vaccine in the second half.
Italy, Spain Reach 70% Vaccine Milestone (6:11 a.m. NY)
More than 70% of Italians are fully vaccinated, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Wednesday. Speranza thanked health personnel and volunteers who, all through the summer, tackled “one of the biggest challenges that our country ever faced.” Spain will reach that goal this week, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
U.S. Employers Mull Vaccine Requirements (6 a.m. NY)
Vaccine mandates are set to become more common in the workplace.
A majority of U.S. employers — 52% — are planning or considering requirements for a Covid shot by the end of the year, according to a survey released by consultant Willis Towers Watson. That’s more than double the 21% of companies polled that currently have some form of mandate.
The options vary, ranging from a strict order for all employees to limiting access to certain areas to inoculated workers.
Most in England Have Covid Antibodies (4:55 p.m. HK)
More than 94% of people in England had coronavirus antibodies in the week of Aug. 9, according to the Office for National Statistics.
South Africa Mulls Limits for the Unvaccinated (4:46 p.m. HK)
South Africa may limit the use of public amenities to the people who have been vaccinated, the country’s health minister said.
“Once there is sufficient coverage we should be able to arrive at the stage where we can actually make demands even at public amenities,” Joe Phaahla, the minister, said in the National Council of Provinces. “You can’t have your cake and eat it. You have the right to not have a vaccination, but you have no right to endanger the lives of other people.”
Covid Hits European Soccer Player Trading (4:31 p.m. HK)
Europe’s top soccer clubs spent less during the summer transfer window as the pandemic continued to hit their finances, even as the sport’s two most prominent players switched team.
The English Premier League, the continent’s richest competition, paid out a gross 1.1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) in the trading period that closed on Aug. 31, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. That was the lowest since 2015. The German Bundesliga was the only league among the top five to increase spending.
Nigeria Considers Mandatory Vaccinations (3:41 p.m. HK)
Nigeria’s government is considering imposing sanctions on individuals who refuse vaccines, the Punch newspaper reported, citing the executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
“If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law, which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins,” the paper quoted the director, Faisal Shuaib, as saying.
Two southern Nigerian state governments instructed their populations to get inoculated or be banned from religious services and public places.
Italy Considers Changes to Vaccine Policies (2:46 p.m. HK)
Italy’s introduction of a third vaccine dose is “very likely,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.
The government is also evaluating making use of the so-called “green pass” compulsory among workers in the public sector, according to Sole24Ore daily.
As of Sept. 1, Italy requires travelers on planes, ferries, and long-distance trains and coaches to show proof of vaccination or of a recent negative Covid test. Anti-vaccine activists are organizing protests to block the country’s main railway stations.
Taiwan to Tighten Air-Crew Rules (2:20 p.m. HK)
The Taiwanese government plans to tighten quarantine and testing rules for air crew from Sept. 15 in an effort to prevent spread of delta variant, according to a statement from the country’s Centers for Disease Control.
Covid-Zero Policy Wavers in Australia (1:53 p.m. HK)
Australia’s Covid-Zero policy is under renewed pressure after a second state indicated it was abandoning attempts to eliminate the highly-contagious delta variant.
Melbourne set a 70% first-dose vaccination rate target to begin easing its restrictions — some of the toughest in the world — as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews laid out a roadmap to reopening the state. Regional areas of Victoria could exit lockdown as early as next week, he added.
Indonesia Reaches Milestone on Shots (1:30 p.m. HK)
Indonesia has administered 100 million vaccine doses, setting a milestone that would help it ease restrictions further to revive the economy.
More than 23% of the country’s 270 million population, the fourth-biggest in the world, have received at least their first dose, while about 13% are fully protected, health ministry data showed. Indonesia ranks seventh in the world in terms of doses administered, just behind Germany and ahead of Turkey, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.
Young Are Suffering in Japan’s Latest Wave (12:25 p.m. HK)
Japan’s current wave of infections has mostly affected younger generations, reflecting both the efficacy of its vaccination program among the elderly and the pitfalls of a slow rollout that still hasn’t reached most of the ccountry’s youth.
Philippines to Open Jab to All in October (12:12 p.m. HK)
The Philippines will have enough shots by October to open inoculations for general population, including vulnerable children, said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez. About 25 million doses are expected this month, while 29.5 million are expected to arrive in October, Galvez said at a virtual forum.
Delta’s Spread Hit Factories in Southeast Asia (10:02 a.m. HK)
Manufacturing managers across Southeast Asia reported a heavy blow in August from one of the world’s worst outbreaks.
Manufacturing purchasing managers’ indexes for Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia all remained deep in negative territory in August, reflecting the disruption from lockdowns that forced factories to halt or slow production.
Sinovac Investor Reports Vaccine Windfall (10:00 a.m. HK)
An investor in Sinovac Biotech Ltd. reported a nearly six-fold increase in first-half profit, giving a glimpse into the windfall made by the Chinese vaccine developer.
Sales of more than one billion doses of the shot known as CoronaVac helped Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd., which holds a 15% stake in a subsidiary of Beijing-based Sinovac, record profit of 8.48 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) in the first six months of 2021, the Hong Kong-listed company said.
N.Y. to Hold Special Session on Eviction Freeze (7:15 a.m. HK)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the state Legislature back to Albany for a rare special session to extend the state’s freeze on evictions.
The state Senate and Assembly are slated to vote on Wednesday on a measure to extend the state eviction moratorium as far as January 15. The freeze was initially put in place to help tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic and was set to expire on Aug. 31.
Business Travel Won’t Return to Old Ways (6:00 a.m. HK)
Business travel as we’ve known it is a thing of the past. A Bloomberg survey of 45 large firms shows that 84% plan to spend less on travel after the pandemic.
Having saved billions from slashed travel budgets with only a marginal impact on operations, companies, banks, consulting firms and government offices will be hard pressed to explain why they’d return to their old ways.
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