The Fight Against COVID19

Europe Vaccinations Back on Track; India in Crisis: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- European Union officials said the bloc is overcoming its vaccine supply problem and may have 70% of adults fully vaccinated before the end of July, raising the prospect of an almost normal tourism season.While U.S. inoculation rates are also on the rise, vaccines are in short supply in India as the world’s second most populous country confronts a second wave. Thailand’s infection rate reached the highest since February and Japan is imposing restrictions in Tokyo and other cities to rein in the rapid spread of the coronavirus.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases pass 134.7 million; deaths 2.91 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 748 million shots given worldwideIndia’s hospitals swamped by second virus wave as shots run lowWHO chief says political will is missing for equitable vaccinationU.K. urges mourners not to gather after death of Prince PhilipEurope finds some rare successes in its struggle to defeat CovidChina’s bid to ramp up vaccinations hindered by supply shortagesSubscribe 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.Norwegian Study Links Blood Clots to AstraZeneca Jab (6:53 a.m. NY)A Norwegian study into blood clots and abnormally low levels of platelets in five people who were given the AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 has found that their condition was a vaccine-induced syndrome, according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. “By providing a link between thrombosis and the immune system, these results strengthen the view that vaccination may have triggered the syndrome,” the article cited the study as saying.Denmark and Norway are avoiding use of the Astra vaccine even though it’s been approved for use there, saying they need more time to review the risks. Sweden and Finland are only offering it to people over the age of 65.Europe Could Beat U.K. in Vaccination Target: Brussels (5:32 p.m. HK)Europe could have fully vaccinated 70% of adults before the U.K. reaches its own target of one dose for all over-18s by the end of July, Thierry Breton, the European commissioner leading Brussels’ vaccine task force, said in an interview with the Guardian.Europe was expecting 360 million doses from five manufacturers in the second quarter, with European factories set to produce 200 million shots a month by September for an overall capacity of 2 to 3 billion by year end. The “extremely rapid” increase in European production capacity should allow the EU’s 27 nations to compensate for first-quarter shortfalls and allow “an almost normal tourist season”, Breton said.Airline Body Wants U.K. to Probe Travel Test Pricing (5:05 p.m. HK)Global airline body IATA called on the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority to launch an inquiry into pricing of Covid-19 tests for travel, as separate research showed travelers had to pay twice as much for the PCR tests in Britain as they do in much of Europe, the Guardian reported on Sunday.While the cheapest U.K. pre-departure PCR tests are available for 60 pounds ($82) -- the subsidized rate for passengers at Gatwick Airport -- most travelers are being charged an average of 128 pounds, more than double the price for much of Europe, according to research from the Association of British Travel Agents and the Airport Operators Association.Jet2, one of the biggest tour operators in the U.K., postponed all holidays until June 23 citing lack of clarity from the government, the Guardian reported in a separate story. The tour operator said “not knowing when we can start to fly and where we can fly to” led to suspension of flights and holidays.EU’s Michel Sees Surge in Vaccinations After Early Stumbles (4:43 p.m. HK)European Council President Charles Michel expects the region to soon move past the shortfall in vaccine availability, and become a leading producer, he said in an interview with a range of newspapers including Germany’s Handelsblatt. Output will continue to grow in the coming weeks and Europe may even become the world’s biggest maker of inoculations.Germany reported 23,945 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the third straight day of declines. Deaths fell to 246, down from 294 a day earlier.Russian Cases Are Still Falling, With Number of Deaths Stable (4:09 p.m. HK)Russia reported 8,704 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, down from the 9,150 reported a day earlier as the caseload continues to stabilize. Authorities reported 402 deaths yesterday from the virus, unchanged from the previous day.Pakistan Approves Sinovac Shot for Emergency Use (3:35 p.m. HK)Pakistan’s drug regulator approved Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine for emergency use, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan. The move adds a third Chinese vaccine to Pakistan’s arsenal as the country faces a new wave on infections. Pakistan previously approved shots developed by Sinopharm and CanSino Biologics Inc.Tokyo Cases Top 500 Again (2:25 p.m. HK)Tokyo reported 570 additional infections on Saturday, topping 500 for a fourth straight day, and the daily number of virus cases in Osaka hit a record of 918, according to Kyodo News. Japan on Friday said it will reimpose restrictions in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa, aiming to rein in a rapid spread of the coronavirus in those areas three weeks after ending a state of emergency in the capital.Thailand Sees Most Cases Since Early February (12:57 p.m. HK)Thailand reported 789 new cases, the highest since Feb. 4, bringing the total to 31,658 infections, according to the Health Ministry. Most cases are linked to entertainment venue clusters in the Thai capital. One new death was reported Saturday, raising the total to 97.India’s Hospitals Swamped by Second Wave (12:34 p.m. HK)India is facing an escalating health crisis, with its second wave of virus infections hitting record highs, overwhelming hospitals around the country as supplies of intensive care beds and vital drugs come under pressure.Across the South Asian nation, from the wealthiest and also the worst-hit state of Maharashtra to its most populous, Uttar Pradesh, reports are emerging of hospital beds running short and immunization centers turning away people as they run out of vaccines. India reported more than 145,000 new infections Saturday, and with over 13 million virus cases lags behind only the U.S. and Brazil.U.K. Urges Mourners Not to Gather (12:29 p.m. HK)U.K. officials urged people not to gather or lay flowers following the death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, a sign of how longstanding traditions will have to be put aside due to the pandemic. Well-wishers congregated outside Buckingham Palace and laid floral tributes on Friday, following the news of the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing at Windsor Castle, west of London, at the age of 99.China Approves Third Sinopharm Shot for Trial (4:40 p.m. HK)China has approved the third vaccine from Sinopharm Group Co. to start clinical trials, the company said. The green light to begin testing comes after two inactivated vaccines from Sinopharm were approved and widely used both at home and in developing countries.China’s ambitious effort to vaccinate 560 million people -- 40% of its population -- by the end of June is nonetheless running into a supply shortage, forcing authorities to extend the intervals between doses and leaving some people unable to book second shots. China had administered 161.1 million doses of Covid vaccines as of Friday, the National Health Commission said in a statement.South Korea’s Moon Calls Meeting on Virus (11:32 a.m. HK)South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold an urgent meeting on Monday with the country’s top health officials to review the response to the pandemic and discuss vaccine supplies, Yonhap News reported Saturday, citing a presidential spokesman.Health authorities warned this week that the country is in the early stage of another wave of infections. They also said they may consider stricter social distancing measures and curtail some business activities if the weekly average of cases rises. South Korea confirmed 677 more infections on Saturday.CureVac Could Win EU Shot Approval in May (10:04 a.m. HK)CureVac NV could win European Union approval for its vaccine as early as May, sooner than expected, a German newspaper cited a company spokesman as saying.“We’re already very far advanced in the third phase of clinical trials and are awaiting data for the final application package,” CureVac spokesman Thorsten Schueller told Augsburger Allgemeine. “We hope the approval will come in May or June.”CureVac’s boosters include Elon Musk, who deleted a Twitter post on Friday saying that the biotech sounded to be “a few months away from regulatory approval.”Covid Hampers St. Vincent Evacuation (7:33 a.m. HK)Covid-19 is hampering efforts to evacuate people from the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, where the La Soufriere volcano began erupting Friday morning.St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said efforts to move an estimated 20,000 residents who live near the volcano were underway. But the pandemic is causing delays. Hotels that are being turned into refugee centers are asking that people be vaccinated, a request that Gonsalves said was “not unreasonable.”U.S. Vaccinations Climb (7:05 a.m. HK)The U.S. recorded 4 million vaccine doses on Friday, returning the pace of inoculations almost to the level before a post-holiday lull, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.It was the third straight day of increases, with the seven-day average now at 3.03 million doses a day. So far, 179 million doses have been administered. At this pace, it’s estimated to take another 3 months to cover 75% of the population.Brazil Health Agency Meets Ambassadors (6:54 a.m. HK)Antonio Barra Torres, the head of Brazil’s health regulator, met with Russian Ambassador Alexey Labetskiy to clarify pending issues for the approval of the Sputnik V vaccine. Torres addressed the requests for import and emergency use of Sputnik V, stressing the agency awaits the fulfillment of legal requirements to move ahead with the analysis.In a separate videoconference with the Indian Ambassador to Brazil Suresh Reddy, Torres discussed ways for the regulatory agencies of both countries to collaborate and improve the exchange of information regarding the Covaxin vaccine.WHO Chief: Political Will Missing for Equitable Vaccination (12:06 a.m. HK)A lack of political will and weak global solidarity are the “mother of all bottlenecks” to ensuring an equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to low-income countries, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.J&J Symptoms No ‘Reason for Concern’ (5:37 p.m. NY)The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is working with health departments in four states to evaluate symptoms experienced after Johnson & Johnson vaccinations but has “not found any reason for concern,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.“Many people don’t have any side effects after Covid-19 vaccines, but some people will have pain or swelling at the injection site or fever, chills, or a headache,” spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said. “These typically don’t last long and are signs that your body is building protection.”She said the states are Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia and Iowa. The symptoms include “dizziness, light headedness, feeling faint, rapid breathing, and sweating.” She said the CDC “is aware of other instances of these symptoms occurring with the other Covid-19 vaccines.”Europe Finds Rare Successes (11:17 a.m. NY)Europe’s stumbling efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic look to be yielding results at last.Germany doubled the number of daily Covid-19 vaccinations, France hit a key immunization milestone a week ahead of schedule, and Italy is set to ease lockdown restrictions as contagion rates slow.After becoming an epicenter of a renewed surge in the pandemic, there are tentative signs that Western Europe is turning the corner. Stocks in the region hit a record high twice this week, as vaccination campaigns rebound from earlier shortages to boost expectations of a rapid economic recovery.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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