(Bloomberg) – Brazil has reported a record number of deaths in Covid-19, while New Zealand, a world leader in its pandemic response, announced plans in the coming months for a targeted deployment of vaccines to those at risk. . China has extended its reach without local infections.
The European Union will present a certificate that could make the journey easier for those who have taken vaccines, while US airlines are urging the Biden government to develop virus passports as infections spread at the slowest pace since the pandemic began. Malaysia facilitates some curbs on travel between states.
BioNTech SE could launch three billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine next year with partner Pfizer Inc. produce. The survey showed a high ability to neutralize laboratory experiments first detected in Brazil, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Important developments:
Global Tracker: business passes 117.5 million; deaths top 2.6 million Vaccine Tracker: More than 319 million shots given worldwide Spotlight: Death forecast drops as pandemic indicators improve Vaccine success brings a contemptuous president back from the edge Africa can save the world from a never-ending pandemic How the pandemic picture about female wages obscured: QuickTake
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Push for vaccine passport growth in EU, US (11:30 HK)
There is increasing impetus for vaccine passports. The European Union will propose a certificate that could facilitate the journey for those who took EU-approved vaccines, or others, such as the Chinese and Russian shots, who had emergency permits. The “EU Covid Card / digital green certificate” will show whether containers had a vaccine and which one; the results of any test; and information on whether they recovered from an infection, a person familiar with the draft regulation said.
U.S. airlines, along with travel groups and labor, wrote separately to the Biden government, saying the U.S. should “be a leader” in global efforts to establish health evidence that can be used for travel.
China has also announced a digital vaccine passport. A health certificate that shows a person’s vaccination status links to an application in China’s most used messaging application WeChat. Travelers can use the certificate, which is issued only to Chinese citizens who have undergone nucleic acid tests and Covid vaccinations, to prove their health status. It is unclear whether any countries have yet recognized the certification.
What are vaccine passports and how will they work ?: QuickTake
Alaska allows shots for 16 and older (11:10 HK)
Alaska will allow anyone living and working in the state 16 years and older to get a vaccine, the Department of Health said it is the first place in the United States where the vaccine is so widely available. Alaska leads the U.S. in vaccination rates, with more than a quarter of the population having at least one Covid-19 shot and 16% being fully vaccinated. It also has the third smallest population, with less than 750,000 people.
China extends stretch without local infections (10:40 HK)
China today reported five new infections, but all were imported. The last time the country had a local shipment was February 6, highlighting the success of a rigorous strategy that includes curbs, mass tests and hard closures anywhere in Covid-19 cases. These difficult measures include the closure of Tonghua, a city of 2 million people in Jilin province, in January, in which residents were banned from leaving their homes.
The action limited a success of the winter flare-up in China that sometimes infected more than 100 people a day. Infections declined thereafter, even though many families faced the pandemic in the middle of the new year holiday in mid-February.
At the ongoing National People’s Congress in Beijing, delegates continued to wear masks, although President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang appeared without masks on Friday.
Mexico’s death toll reaches 191,789 (10:30 HK)
According to the Ministry of Health, Mexico had another 866 Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total to 191,789. About 26% of the general hospital beds are occupied and 30% of beds with ventilators are occupied. Mexico administered 3,100,868 doses of vaccinations. with 605,801 people receiving a second dose.
Separately, El Financiero reported that Ruy Lopez Ridaura, an official from the Ministry of Health, confirmed that eight Mexican states had received Sinovac’s vaccine between 11 and 12 degrees Celsius, while it had to be kept between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. Lopez Ridaura said the vaccine could be kept at 25 degrees for more than a week without losing its potency, and at that temperature it would only start to lose on day 14, the report said.
New Zealand announces vaccine vaccination plans (09:08 HK)
New Zealand, which is at the top of Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking of the economies that handle the pandemic best, will have a targeted impact over the next three to four months, reaching 2 million people in the most vulnerable groups. Those in South Auckland older than 65 or with underlying conditions will get shots by the end of this month.
The country has already begun vaccinating border and management team workers and their families, along with 480,000 front-line workers and people living in high-risk conditions. As of May, 1.7 million people will be at higher risk.
“The rest of the population will be able to be vaccinated from July and our plan is to vaccinate as many people as possible by the end of the year,” Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement. “Every New Zealander can get a vaccine and the vaccine is free.”
San Francisco Has Dangerous Pay For Grocery Workers (08:55 HK)
Workers in chain grocery stores and pharmacies in San Francisco could be eligible for an additional $ 5 per hour on pandemic-related hazard payments under an emergency measure approved by the board of supervisors Tuesday, Bloomberg Law reports. The bill will take effect immediately if it is signed as expected by the mayor.
UK Panel Questions Test and Detection Costs (08:35 HP)
The UK coronavirus testing and detection program has not been able to show that it has contributed to a drop in infection rates, despite the “unimaginable” cost of $ 30.6 billion (£ 22 billion) so far, the Public Accounts Committee has in the Volksraad said report.
According to Parliament’s watchdog for spending, the program could not fulfill its ‘central promise’ to prevent a second national exclusion in England, or a third.
“British taxpayers cannot be treated like an ATM by the government,” committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said in a statement. “Despite the unimaginable resources that this project employs, testing and tracing may not indicate a measurable difference in the progress of the pandemic.”
Britain may reduce passenger tax on domestic flights (8:30 HK)
The UK Department will start a consultation to reform the UK UK domestic flights levy. This could mean a “return leg release”, allowing passengers to pay only for their outbound flight, or a new lower domestic fare.
The proposal is part of a review aimed at examining how transport could better connect all parts of the UK, following the collapse of Flybe at the start of the pandemic.
Covid deaths in Brazil hit record high (17:13 NY)
Brazil has reported a record number of deaths due to the coronavirus when the country is in a hurry to close new vaccine deals.
The Ministry of Health said 1,972 people had died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the total to 268,370. Confirmed cases increased by 70,764 to 11,122,429. Brazil only follows the U.S. in number of deaths worldwide, ranking third in infections.
Hospitals across the country are reaching capacity as a combination of year-end and carnival gatherings and a new, more contagious variant contribute to an increase in infections, although the virus is declining in most parts of the world. At the same time, a shortage of vaccines is delaying a mass vaccination campaign in the country of 212 million.
BioNTech sees boost in vaccine production (16:23 NY)
BioNTech could make 3 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine next year with US partner Pfizer, the German company’s CEO said, making their groundbreaking shot more available worldwide.
“In principle, we can further increase manufacturing capacity,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday.
Pfizer and BioNTech have committed to making two billion doses of their two-stroke vaccine this year. Pfizer has promised to ship two-thirds of the 300-million-dose U.S. order by May. In the European Union, partners have promised to send at least 500 million doses this year, with an option for another 100 million doses.
Texas Capital must face governor (15:37 NY)
When the Texas mask mandate is lifted tomorrow, the capital of Austin plans to continue to need face masks, which directly contradicts Gov. Greg Abbott to reopen the second-largest U.S. state. Officials in larger cities like Houston have expressed their displeasure over Abbott’s assignment, but so far they have not faced the challenge.
US vaccines rise next week (14:10 NY)
Pfizer and Modern vaccines to U.S. states, tribes and territories will rise to 15.8 million doses next week, up from 15.2 million a week earlier, White House Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Shipments to pharmacies will rise to 2.7 million from 2.4 million a week earlier.
NY lowers vaccine vaccination to 60 (11:10 NY)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he will lower the age for vaccination to 60 from Wednesday, as the state pushes up its vaccination campaign.
The governor said the state would also be eligible for vaccinations for public employees and nonprofit emergency workers from March 17. Public construction workers facing will also be eligible, he said in a Tuesday virus briefing.
No overseas fans at the Tokyo Olympics: Kyodo (08:37 NY)
The Japanese government has decided to exclude overseas spectators from the Tokyo Olympics, Kyodo reported, citing officials with knowledge of the matter. The government has concluded that fans from abroad are not possible, given concerns about the virus and various variants detected in other countries.
Latvia offers to take patients from Estonia (07:38 NY)
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins on Tuesday offered to take in some of Covid’s neighboring patients in Estonia after his prime minister announced a closure and stricter restrictions on controlling the spread of British tensions and growing cases.
German industry solves test solution (07:30 NY)
Germany’s leading industry associations have resolved talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Covid-19 tests and called on companies to help expand the rapid and self-testing of employees.
“Until a vaccination offer can be made to all citizens, we want to support the testing strategy of the federal and state governments with all our energy,” said four of the largest industry portals, representing more than 90% of German employees, in a joint statement coordinated with Merkel’s administration.
Merkel canceled a video call with business leaders last week because she wanted more proposals on testing workers than were initially on the table.
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