Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
We keep up with the latest news about coronavirus outbreaks and the global response. Sign up here for our daily newsletter on what you need to know.
The AstraZeneca Plc vaccine has shown limited efficacy against mild diseases caused by the South African variant of Covid-19, according to early data in a small phase trial.
New business in the US continued to show a declining trend. Although deaths remain high, the average daily increase in infections has dropped by 20% from the previous week. New business in Brazil fell for a third consecutive week.
China has remained in a northern upswing, with only one new infection in Jilin province. Australia has widened quarantine testing for travelers to prevent the virus from leaking into the community. Thailand said the conditions for buying vaccines through the Covax program supported by the World Health Organization are too strict to make a purchase worthwhile.
Important developments:
Sign in to a daily update of the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis Team here. Click on CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.
Indonesia approves Sinovac vaccine for the elderly (12:50 HK)
Indonesia has approved China’s Covid-19 Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine for use in the elderly, and according to the Ministry of Health, it could start vaccinating between March and April.
Indonesia began its mass vaccination on January 13 with a Sinovac vaccine. More than 777,000 people got their first shot and about 137,000 showed a second, official data. The government plans to vaccinate 181.5 million people by March 2022.
Malaysia to migrant workers in hotels (11:45 am HK)
The Malaysian government has launched a plan to temporarily house migrant workers in almost empty hotels across the country to tackle the deteriorating distribution of Covid-19 cases due to groups in the workplace.
The Ministry of Tourism said the program would indirectly help hotel operators injured by the pandemic. Overcrowded conditions in dormitories for employees are a major source of infections, which has sparked record cases and put Malaysia’s health care system under pressure. According to the Ministry of Human Resources, the country has more than 1.5 million documented migrant workers, 91% of whom live in accommodation that does not meet the minimum housing standards.
Thailand’s Covax reluctance (09:35 HK)
The Thai government will not be getting Covid-19 vaccines for the time being through the Covax program supported by the World Health Organization because the conditions are too strict. The move could put the country at risk of getting delayed vaccines at higher prices.
Under the program, Thailand will be charged extra for the booking, and it will be limited to the producers and the delivery period. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of the country’s population for a quick order with conditions and costs, said Nakorn Premsri, director of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute.
China outbreak recovered (08:42 HK)
China has reported only one new local case in Jilin province as the country brings a revival of the coronavirus in its northern regions under control. The National Health Commission found 1176 cases in the country yesterday morning.
Australian State Team Quarantine Tests (07:48 HK)
Australia’s most populous state has tightened the Covid-19 rules for quarantine testing in an effort to prevent the virus from leaking into the community. NSW Health’s returning overseas travelers in New South Wales must now be tested two days after completing 14 days of hotel quarantine.
Kentucky dies 4,000 deaths (7:02 a.m. HK)
Kentucky has reported 49 new deaths, which have exceeded 4,000 since the start of the pandemic. “Despite the incidence of cases, we are still losing our people at an alarming rate,” Governor Andy Beshear tweeted. ‘That’s why we adorn and follow the lead. We must protect ourselves from the loss of those we love. Cases and hospitalizations have been steadily declining in Kentucky over the past month, while deaths have fallen only slightly.
Astra vaccine shows less effect on South Africa variants (17:46 NY)
AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine has shown limited efficacy against mild diseases caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, according to early data in a small phase trial.
The efficacy against severe cases of Covid-19, hospitalization and deaths has not yet been determined, ‘as the subjects were mainly young healthy adults’, a AstraZeneca spokesperson said in a statement.
None of the study participants died or were hospitalized, according to the Financial Times, which first reported on the study’s findings.
The first British vaccine target can be reached early (17:42 NY)
The UK’s action plan, which aims to vaccinate nine priority groups by early May, is going so well that the target could be reached by April, the Sunday Telegraph reported, citing unknown government sources.
Ministers also discuss a plan where call teams will go to workplaces to help vaccinate people elderly younger than 50, the report reads. The government is still evaluating whether they want to shoot those who are at greatest risk or whether to target emergency service workers and teachers.
Australians get vaccinated on phones, says SMH (17:24 NY)
Australians will have access to their Covid-19 vaccination certificates on their mobile phones, allowing them access to hospitals and high-risk areas and possibly crossing state borders, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The plans are being considered by federal cabinet ministers before Australians start receiving shots later this month, the newspaper reported.
Weekly business in Brazil, deaths slow (17:20 NY)
The new cases in Brazil dropped for the third consecutive week, with 50,630 infections reported on Saturday data show. Although the decline of the country’s second wave is slowing, the fall remains just as high as during last summer’s surge. The total business is almost 9.5 million, the highest to the US and India.
Deaths remain at about the same level as last summer, although the weekly number has declined. Another 978 deaths were reported on Saturday, a total of 231,012, most to the United States.
London mosque wants to overcome mistrust of vaccines (16:43 NY)
A London mosque has become a vaccination center aimed at overcoming mistrust among Muslims over the vaccination, the Press Association report. A London Muslim Center official said only three of the 200 people recently contacted to receive the vaccine showed up for the AstraZeneca shot.
“We tell the people that it is wise to take the vaccine because you are not only helping yourself, but you are also helping the community and beyond,” mosque official Asad Jaman was quoted as saying.
Council for Covid-Year Super Bowl (15:18 NY)
The Super Bowl may not be a real holiday, but public health experts treat it like others of the past year: a moment when Covid-19 could spread, now at a time when infections are finally falling again.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but do not do it with a large crowd of people in your home,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci said on MSNBC on Friday. ‘It’s a perfect setup to hold a mini superspreader event in your home. Do not do this. ”
Rate of US weekly case increases fall 20%; Deaths Steady (8:18 am NY)
The U.S. added 13,147 new cases on Friday, an increase from the previous day but in line with the overall declining trend of new infections, according to information provided by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The number brings the daily average, measured over a week, to 126,283. This is a decrease of 20% from the previous week’s average.
The country added 3,625 new deaths on Friday, a significant decrease from the 5,054 of the previous day, which is one of the highest recorded. The number is higher than the weekly average of 3,247. The data show that the average daily deaths this week remained essentially unchanged.
– Assisted by Angus Whitley