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(Bloomberg) -- Governor Andrew Cuomo said more vaccines are on the way for New York, though he said the bigger challenge is getting skeptical Black and Latino residents to take the shot. Fatalities in the U.S. dropped below 4,000 for the first time in three days.A doctors’ group in the U.K. has urged the government to review the 12 weeks allowed for people to receive a second dose of the vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The manufacturer suggests 21 days. Meanwhile, France’s top health authority recommends doubling that three-week gap as a way to stretch supplies and speed inoculations.Sweden’s prime minister said his government’s response to the pandemic fell short, contributing to a disproportionately high number of deaths. Norway locked down the Oslo area.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases exceed 98.3 million; deaths pass 2.1 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 60.3 million shots given worldwideTo revive Manhattan, Wall Street offers help with vaccinationsBiden’s 100-day vaccine goal was nearly met before he arrivedHong Kong has imposed its first Covid lockdown in KowloonWhy the mutated coronavirus variants are so worrisome: QuickTakeSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.U.K. Hospitalizations Drop for Third Day (11:14 a.m. NY)People being treated for Covid-19 in U.K. hospitals fell for a third day, to 37,899 on Jan. 21. Another 33,552 positive cases were reported on Saturday, about 5,000 below the average over the previous seven days. Deaths were above the weekly average at 1,348. More than 5.86 million people have received a first dose of vaccine.Cuomo Seeks to Overcome Vaccine Skepticism (11:10 a.m. NY)A day after saying New York was running out vaccines, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the coming week’s supply has begun to arrive from the federal government -- and he encouraged hesitant minorities to take it.“Our bigger problem is the acceptance, especially among the Black and the Latino community,” Cuomo said on Saturday at a vaccine center in Brooklyn. “Why? Because they are skeptical. They are skeptical of a vaccine approved by the Trump administration.” He said New York had done its own reviews and that the vaccines are safe. The state reported 13,786 new cases, continuing a trend of lower infections since hitting a record of almost 20,000 on Jan. 14. The statewide positive test rate dipped slightly to 5.26%, as did hospitalizations to 8,802. Another 144 people died.Portugal Reports Record Cases, Deaths (10:15 a.m. NY)Portugal on Saturday reported 15,333 new cases of Covid-19, surpassing the previous daily record announced Wednesday and bringing the country’s total to 624,469. The government also reported a record 274 daily fatalities, bringing the total 10,194. The number of patients in intensive-care units rose by five to 720. The country’s national health service has a capacity of about 1,200 intensive-care beds.While confinement measures are in place, travel will be allowed on Sunday for voting in the presidential election. In Portugal, the president is mainly a figurehead and policy is set by the prime minister and his government.Bolsonaro Drops in Polls Amid Pandemic Toll (10 a.m. NY)Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s approval rating dropped the most since he took office in 2018, weighed down by the pandemic’s death toll and confusion surrounding a national vaccination plan.Bolsonaro, who scoffed at masks and echoed baseless theories about the virus voiced by former U.S. President Donald Trump, polled 26% in an Ideia survey for Exame published Friday, compared with 37% last week. His popularity fell to 37% in a Datafolha poll from 31% in December.Germany Sees 3 Million Vaccine Doses in Feb. (9:20 a.m. NY)German Health Minister Jens Spahn said he expects 3 million vaccine doses to be delivered to the country in February, despite production problems by AstraZeneca Plc. “Unfortunately, this will be less than expected”, Spahn told the Sunday edition of the tabloid Bild. He re-affirmed his pledge that all German citizens will be offered a vaccine by the end of summer.Doctors Seek U.K. Review of Shot Delay (8:39 a.m. NY)The British Medical Association said the U.K. should “urgently review” its decision allowing a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine as much as 12 weeks after the first, instead of the shorter gap recommended, the Associated Press reported.The doctors’ group said there was growing concern in the medical profession about the delay, noting that no other nation has adopted the U.K.’s approach, the AP said, citing a statement.The U.K. has administered 5.38 million first doses of vaccines overall and 467,000 second doses through Jan. 21, according to its Covid dashboard. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that a new variant of the virus that has emerged in the country may be deadlier than initially thought.Broadcaster Larry King Dies (8:20 a.m. NY)Larry King, the broadcast interviewer who became the star of a top-rated U.S. cable talk show, has died at age 87 in Los Angeles, according to a statement on his Twitter account. The cause of death wasn’t provided, but he had recently undergone treatment for Covid-19.LSE Chief Proposes Lifeline for Firms: Sky (8:19 a.m. NY)David Schwimmer, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, is leading discussions to create a fund that would invest in companies hit hard by the coronavirus, Sky News reported. The fund’s size would initially be 300 million pounds ($411 million), though that could be increased to as much as 1 billion pounds.Mauritius Gets 100,000 Doses of Astra Shot (7:47 a.m. NY)Mauritius will use its first 100,000 Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate 50,000 front-line workers as part of a plan the government said will contribute to a revival of crucial industries. The shots, which are being produced under license from AstraZeneca Plc, are a donation from the Indian government.While Mauritius has just 28 active cases, according to a statement from the health ministry on Jan. 18, the country’s economy is heavily dependent on a return of tourists from places where the virus is far more widespread.France Mulls Extending Dosage Interval (7:09 a.m. NY)France’s top health authority is recommending a doubling of the time between the two required Covid-19 vaccine shots as a way to stretch supplies and inoculate as many people as possible. Giving the second injection six weeks after the initial one would allow at least 700,000 more people to be protected during the first month. The French advice follows guidance two days ago by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said follow-up doses could be given up to six weeks later if it’s not feasible to get them in the recommended interval.Parts of Sweden Halt Moderna Vaccine (6:57 p.m. HK)Several regions in Sweden will temporarily stop using the Moderna vaccine, after a shipment was delivered below the recommended storage temperature, Radio Sweden reported. Around 1,000 shots already had been administered. Authorities don’t think there’s a risk of side effects, but will be monitoring to ensure the medicine triggers an immune response.Swedish PM Admits Strategy Fell Short (6:56 p.m. HK)Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said his government should have taken more aggressive steps and moved more quickly to stop the spread of the pandemic, and he takes full responsibility for the initial strategy that led the country to suffer a disproportionately high number of deaths.In an interview with Dagens Nyheter, Lofven said the government’s response to the spread of the virus among the elderly was inadequate, and that testing should have begun earlier.“As prime minister, I take full responsibility for the strategy that we have,” Lofven said.Iran Deaths Drop to Lowest Since June (6:37 p.m. HK)Iran recorded its lowest daily number of deaths from Covid-19 since June 5, with 69 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The number of new cases rose by 6,207 overnight, down from 6,305 on Friday, the Health Ministry reported. The country now has seen a total of 57,294 coronavirus deaths and 1,367,032 known infections.France Aims for 15 Million Inoculations by June (6:20 p.m. HK)France is sticking to a goal of inoculating 15 million people by June, despite hiccups with the roll-out of vaccines, French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said Saturday in an interview on France Inter radio.“I am reasonably confident that we will surpass this target,” she said. “We aren’t experiencing delays in deliveries of Pfizer dosages.”The EU is facing fewer deliveries from Pfizer Inc. and German partner BioNTech SE after the companies said they needed to modify a factory in Belgium. Another supplier, AstraZeneca Plc, on Friday said deliveries to the EU of its vaccine will initially be slower than expected due to lower production at a manufacturing site. France passed the threshold of 3 million Covid-19 cases on Friday.Norway Locks Down Oslo (5:27 p.m. HK)Norway is imposing the strictest measures since March 12 in the area around the capital in an attempt to suppress infections of the more contagious coronavirus variant.All shops, cinemas, restaurants and churches will be closed and the service of alcohol banned until Jan. 31, Health Minister Bent Hoie announced in a webcast speech on Saturday. Amateur sports and leisure activities won’t be allowed.South Africa Backs Distribution of Astra Shots (4:36 p.m. HK)South Africa’s regulator granted the health department permission to distribute the vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford in its first nod for Covid-19 inoculations.The National Department of Health has been recognized by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority as a supplier of The Serum Institute of India Ltd., Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in a statement late Friday.Hong Kong Cases Top 10,000 (4:35 p.m. HK)Hong Kong reported 81 new coronavirus cases Saturday, the most in five days. 78 of the cases were locally transmitted, with 35 of them were untraceable.Finnair to Resume Flights to U.K., Ireland (4:26 p.m. HK)Finnair Oyj says it will resume flights to Finland from the U.K. and Ireland on Jan. 25, after aviation authorities lifted a temporary ban. The airline will require passengers flying from Jan. 28 to present a certificate of a negative Covid-19 test or certify they’ve had the virus, in line with recommendations from national health authorities. The requirement doesn’t apply to passengers flying through Finland, according to a Jan. 22 statement.German Infections Drop Week-on-Week (4:19 p.m. HK)Germany saw 16,366 new infections, which is lower than last week with 19,817 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The total number of cases is now at 2,125,261. The reproduction rate number is 0.97, government figures show.CDC Says Vaccine Doses May Be Spaced Further (1:39 p.m. HK)Follow-up doses of the Covid-19 vaccines could be given up to six weeks later if it’s not feasible to get them in the recommended interval, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also offering some flexibility for “modest delays.”The guidance posted in a Jan. 21 update to the CDC website said a second dose should be administered as close to the recommended schedule as possible, either three weeks for the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine or four weeks for the Moderna Inc. shot.Separately, the U.S. reported 191,897 new coronavirus cases. Deaths climbed by 3,902, dropping below 4,000 for the first time in three days.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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