Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
Photographer: Octavio Jones / Getty Images
We are following the news about the coronavirus outbreak and the global response. Sign up here for our daily newsletter on what you need to know.
The AstraZeneca Plc-Oxford University vaccine showed limited efficacy against mild diseases caused by the South African variant of Covid-19, according to initial data in a small phase trial.
New cases in the US continued to point to a downward trend. Although deaths remain high, the average daily increase in infections fell 20% from the previous week. New cases in Brazil fell for the third week in a row.
China reigned in a northern outbreak, with only one new infection in Jilin Province. Australia expanded testing for quarantined travelers to stop the virus from leaking into the community. Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to acquire a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday.
Main developments:
Subscribe to daily update of Bloomberg Prognosis team virus here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.
Zimbabwe talks with Russia over vaccine: (18:35 HK)
Zimbabwe is in talks with Russia to acquire a supply of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported on Sunday. “We are working on the modalities,” said Anastasia Samoylenko, an official of the Russian embassy in the Sunday Mail. No further details were provided on vaccine quantities and when deliveries to the South African nation can begin.
On Thursday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country, which has been under strict closure since Jan. 5, will now adopt vaccines as a “second preventive measure.”
Hong Kong worries about lunar new year (18.10 hK)
Hong Kong health officials expressed concern over numerous family reunions and celebratory public markets ahead of the Lunar New Year festival in the coming days, as they reported 27 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday. “It’s a source of concern for us, as we know that with all the holidays people will want to get together, reunite with family members or spend time in New Year’s markets,” said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the branch of communicable diseases of the Department of Health, told reporters.
The UK government is studying the possibility of vaccinating some at work (17:45 HK)
UK ministers are considering proposals to vaccinate millions of people in front-line positions, including teachers and emergency services, under the age of 50 at work from the spring, the Telegraph reported, citing government sources not identified.
According to the plan, delivery drivers, workers in supermarkets and food processing factories would jump to the front in line to get jobs, according to the newspaper. Priority can also be given to prison staff, police officers and even juries.
French Industry Minister Agnostic against Russian vaccine (16:45 HK)
French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said she was “agnostic” of the Russian dam and added that any puncture “that is prepared and that presents the conditions for safety and efficiency is welcome in Europe”. During an interview on France Info TV on Sunday, Pannier-Runacher also said that the circulation of the virus in France is relatively low compared to other European countries.
“We have a number of cases stabilized, on a high plateau, but it’s stabilized, so we’re lucky we don’t have to go into another closure.” France also plans to meet its target of vaccinating the “vulnerable” population by June, which accounts for about 15 million, he added.
Indonesia approves Sinovac vaccine for the elderly (12:50 pm HK)
Indonesia approved Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. from China for use in the elderly and can start inoculations between March and April, according to the health ministry.
Indonesia began its mass inoculation on January 13 with a Sinovac vaccine. More than 777,000 people have received their first shot and some 137,000 have had a second, according to official data. The government plans to vaccinate 181.5 million people in March 2022.
Malaysia to host migrant workers in hotels (11:45 hK)
The Malaysian government has launched a plan to temporarily house migrant workers in nearly empty hotels across the country to address the worsening dispersal of Covid-19 cases due to workplace clusters.
The program will indirectly help hotel operators affected by the pandemic, the tourism ministry said. Overcrowding conditions in employees ’bedrooms have been a key source of infections, prompting historic cases and putting pressure on Malaysia’s healthcare system. The nation has more than 1.5 million documented migrant workers, 91% of whom live in housing that does not meet minimum housing standards, according to the Ministry of Human Resources.
Covax Reluctance of Thailand (9:35 am HK)
The Thai government it will now not purchase Covid-19 vaccines through the Covax program, supported by the World Health Organization, because the conditions are too strict. This measure could put the country at risk of receiving delayed vaccines at higher prices.
Under the program, Thailand would charge a supplement for the reservation and would have limitations on producers and delivery time. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of a country’s population to place a quick order with conditions and costs, said Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute of Thailand.
Restricted China outbreak (8:42 am HK)
China reported only one new local case in Jilin province, as the country controls a resurgence of coronavirus in its northern regions. Outstanding cases in the country were 1,176 as of yesterday, the National Health Commission said.
Australian state strengthens quarantine tests (7:48 am HK)
Australia’s most populous state tightened Covid-19 quarantine testing standards in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading to the community. Travelers returning abroad to New South Wales must now be tested two days after completing the 14-day hotel quarantine, NSW Health said in a statement.
Kentucky passes 4,000 deaths (7:02 am HK)
Kentucky reported 49 new deaths, 4,000 since the start of the pandemic. “Despite falling cases, we continue to lose our people at an alarming rate,” Gov. Andy Beshear posted in a tweet. “That’s why we masked and followed the directions. 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 only fallen slightly.
Astra vaccine shows fewer effects against the South African variant (5:46 pm NY)
AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine has shown limited efficacy against the mild disease caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, according to initial data in a small phase trial.
Efficacy against severe cases of Covid-19, hospitalization, and deaths has not yet been determined, “since the subjects were predominantly healthy and young adults,” an AstraZeneca spokesman said in a statement.
None of the study participants died or were hospitalized, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the results of the study.
The UK’s first vaccine target can be reached soon (17:42 in NY)
The UK vaccine deployment plan, which aims to inoculate nine priority groups in early May, is doing so well that the target could be reached in April, reports the Sunday Telegraph, which cites unidentified government sources .
Ministers are also discussing a plan where traveling teams would go to workplaces to help vaccinate people aged under the age of 50, according to the report. The government is still assessing whether to fire those at higher risk or put emergency workers and teachers at the helm.
SMH says Australians will have vaccination test on phones (5:24 pm NY)
Australians will be able to access their Covid-19 vaccination certificates on their mobile phones, which will allow them to access hospitals and high-risk areas and possibly cross state borders, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Federal cabinet ministers are considering plans before Australians start receiving gunfire later this month, the newspaper reported.
Weekly cases from Brazil, slow deaths (17:20 pm NY)
Brazil’s new cases fell for the third week in a row, with 50,630 infections reported to the Ministry of Health on Saturday data show. Although the reductions show a slowdown in the country’s second wave, cases remain as high as during last summer’s rise. The total number of cases is almost 9.5 million, the highest after the United States and India.
Deaths remain at about the same level as last summer, although the weekly number has declined. 978 deaths were recorded on Saturday, for a total of 231,012, most after the United States
London Mosque seeks to overcome vaccine mistrust (16:43 pm in New York)
A London mosque has become a vaccination center aimed at overcoming the distrust of Muslims for inoculation, the Press Association reported. A London Muslim Center official said only three of the 200 people recently contacted to receive the vaccine showed up at the AstraZeneca shooting.
“We are telling people that it is advisable to get the vaccine so that you not only help yourself, but you help the community and beyond,” said mosque manager Asad Jaman.
Tips for the Covid-Year Super Bowl (3:18 pm NY)
The Super Bowl may not be a real holiday, but public health experts treat it like last year’s others – a time when Covid-19 could spread, now at a time when infections are finally back to fall.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but don’t do it with a lot of people in your house,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC on Friday. “It’s a perfect setup to have a mini-superspreader event in your home. Do not do it “.
The rate of weekly U.S. cases increases by 20%; Deaths Steady (8:18 am NY)
The United States added 131,747 new cases on Friday, an increase from the previous day, but in line with the declining general trend of new infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The number makes the daily average, measured over a week, 126,283. This is a 20% drop from the previous week’s average.
The nation added 3,625 deaths on Friday, a substantial drop from the previous day’s 5,054, which was one of the highest recorded. The number is above the weekly average of 3,247. Daily data show that the daily average of deaths remained essentially unchanged this week during the last.
– With the assistance of Helen Robertson and Iain Marlow