U.S. Deaths Rise With Infections Breaking Records: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. death toll is rising with coronavirus cases, as the tally topped 1,000 for a fourth day this week. The nation had more than 120,000 new infections for a second day on Friday and hospitalizations seemed headed for all-time highs. President Donald Trump’s chief of staff has been infected.

Italy approved a new pandemic relief package for businesses hit by the country’s second lockdown as cases jumped 10%. France, Poland, Hungary and Iran reported records, and global infections neared 50 million.

The World Health Organization said six countries, including the U.S., have found the virus in farmed minks and called for enhanced surveillance of animal-human contact.

Key Developments:

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Biden to Announce Covid-19 Task Force Monday, Axios Reports (10:52 a.m. NY)

Joe Biden plans to name on Monday a 12-member task force to fight and contain the spread of the coronavirus, Axios reported, citing sources.

The move is a signal that the coronavirus is Biden’s immediate priority for his transition and his potential administration.

The task force will be led by three co-chairs: former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith from Yale University.

Trump’s Aides Frustrated After Meadows’s Silence on Infection (10:38 a.m. NY)

Some of Donald Trump’s White House and campaign aides are frustrated that the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, didn’t issue a statement after he tested positive for the coronavirus this week, instead informing only a close circle of advisers.

His infection was not widely known across Trump’s staff until late Friday, after Bloomberg News reported it. He tested positive on Wednesday, according to a senior administration official.

Geneva Region Has Highest Cases in Europe, RTS (9:35 a.m. NY)

Geneva is the region in Europe with the highest number of coronavirus cases in the past 14 days, Radio Television Suisse reported, citing data from the WHO. The state, or canton, is followed by Wallonia in Belgium and three other regions in Switzerland, RTS said. Geneva closed bars, restaurants, cultural venues and nonessential stores earlier this week until Nov. 29.

Denmark Plans Mass Graves for Minks (9:28 a.m. NY)

Denmark has decided to dig mass graves for many of the 17 million minks it’s culling because the Nordic country’s incineration facilities don’t have the capacity to handle all the dead animals. So far, Denmark has identified sites in military areas where the minks will be buried and encapsulated in lime. Denmark, one of the world’s largest mink fur producers, is killing its entire mink population of over fears that Covid-19 mutates when it transfers between the animal and humans.

U.S. Fatalities Are Rising With Infections (8:14 a.m. NY)

As U.S. virus cases break daily records, deaths are rising too: the nation reported 1,153 fatalities on Friday, the fourth day this week over 1,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.

That’s almost 100 a day more than the previous week and 31% higher than average daily deaths in the first week of October. It is significantly lower than the outbreak’s first spike last spring, when several days neared or passed 2,500 daily deaths. The U.S. death toll is now 236,099.

RBI Governor Negative, Will Return to Work (8 a.m. NY)

Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das tweeted Saturday that he tested negative for Covid-19 and that he will be back working in the office next week.

Georgia Brings Back Night Curfew in Major Cities (6:46 a.m. NY)

Georgia ordered a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Tbilisi and all larger major cities starting Nov. 9 to tackle the spread of the virus. The country reported 2,859 new cases and 18 deaths in the last 24 hours. The restrictions ban all pedestrian and car movement, with exceptions for media, transport of groceries and health-related issues, according to Deputy Prime Minister Maia Tskitishvili. The previous nighttime curfew lasted from March to May.

Iran’s Daily Virus Cases Surpass 9,000 for First Time (6:03 a.m. NY)

Iran reported 9,450 new infections in the past 24 hours, the 10th record for daily cases over the last month. The death toll rose by 423 compared with 424 a day earlier, the latest Health Ministry data showed. The country now has 37,832 deaths in 673,250 infections.

Germany Reports Cases Rise as Partial Lockdown Continues (6:50 p.m. HK)

As Germany enters its second week of “lockdown light,” authorities reported a rise of 22,820 new cases and 130 deaths in the last 24 hours.

UAE Cases Decrease Even as Virus Testing Expands (6:40 p.m. HK)

Cases in the United Arab Emirates continued to decrease from the Oct. 22 peak. Authorities reported 1,141 new cases and four deaths on Saturday, saying they had conducted more than 130,000 tests over the past 24 hours. That brought the total number of tests conducted to nearly 14 million in a population of around 10 million.

Poland Tightens Restrictions as Cases Top 500,000 (5:51 p.m. HK)

Daily infections hit a record 27,875, the Health Ministry reported on Saturday. New cases broke a threshold set by government for a full lockdown for third day in row, with the trigger set at 70-75 daily per 100,000 people measured over a 7-day period. From Saturday, new restrictions include closing non-essential stores in malls and larger furniture stores as well as moving younger classes in schools to remote learning.

Malaysia Imposes Restrictions in Most States (5:36 p.m. HK)

Malaysia imposed a monthlong conditional movement order to all but three peninsular states, with restrictions ending on Dec. 6, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told reporters on Saturday. Partial lockdowns in the capital Kuala Lumpur as well as the states of Selangor and Sabah will be extended when they expire on Monday, he said. Malaysia reported 1,168 new cases Saturday, down from a record 1,755 on Friday.

U.K. May Extend Universal Credit (4:46 p.m. HK)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak have agreed in principle to extend a 20 pounds ($26) per week increase in universal credit for 6 million people, the Times reported, citing an unidentified government source. The cost would be 6 billion pounds and a final decision hasn’t yet been made, according to the newspaper.

Hungary Adds Most Cases; Deaths Top 100 (4:40 p.m. HK)

Hungary reported a record 5,318 new cases, with the daily death toll also at a high of 107. Many intensive care units are already at full capacity due to the lack of qualified staff, Nepszava newspaper reported Saturday, citing the head of a doctors’ union. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has predicted a further sharp rise in hospitalizations through December, though he has nevertheless resisted the stricter lockdown measures seen in neighboring countries.

Iran to Close Businesses at 6 p.m. (4:17 p.m. HK)

President Hassan Rouhani said all non-essential businesses in Tehran and other major cities will be required to close at 6 p.m. as part of measures to slow the spread of coronavirus. The order will come into effect on Nov. 10 and remain in place for 30 days, Rouhani said in a coronavirus task force meeting broadcast on state TV.

Iran has seen a massive spike in its coronavirus numbers in recent weeks. The country’s average daily new cases have more than doubled to 8,407 in the last seven days compared with 3,803 in the first week of October, with daily deaths averaging 419 over the past week versus 213 in the first week of last month.

Russia Cases Over 20,000 for Second Day (3:51 p.m. HK)

Russia had 20,396 new coronavirus infections over the past day, bringing the total to 1,753,836, according to data from the government’s virus response center. Some 364 people died, lifting the toll 30,251. Moscow had 5,829 new infections.

Belgium Hospitalizations Grow Even as Spread Slows (3:47 p.m. HK)

A week after announcing a new lockdown, Belgium’s infection rate continued to slow. The nation of 11 million still reported a rise of patients in intensive care and 593 new hospitalizations.

Italy Approves Boost in Aid for Business (3:17 p.m. HK)

Italy’s government approved an extra pandemic relief package for businesses hit by the country’s second lockdown.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte held a cabinet meeting on Friday evening to back the measures, which come on top of earlier aid of 5 billion euros ($5.9 billion). Italy is expected to spend 2.5 billion euros in its additional spending program, which aims to shield companies and families in the highest-risk areas, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

With the Covid-19 virus surging in Europe, Italians are prohibited from leaving or entering cities in high-risk areas, including Milan, Italy’s financial hub, and key northern industrial cities.

U.S. Has Record 126,714 Daily Infections (1:55 p.m. HK)

The U.S. had a record 126,714 new cases on Friday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News from sources including Johns Hopkins University and the World Health Organization. The tally was up from 126,403 a day earlier, and underscores the growing challenge American authorities face in containing outbreaks. The tally may be adjusted as more data are incorporated.

Nationwide, 58,678 beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients, according to Department of Health and Human Services data analyzed by Bloomberg News. Almost 11,000 patients are being treated in intensive care units, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Hospitalizations have soared.

Colorado Sees Record Cases as Denver Sets Order (10 a.m. HK)

Colorado reported a record 3,102 new cases Friday, with Denver imposing a 30-day overnight “Home by 10” public health order to curb the outbreak effective Sunday. Restaurants and most other businesses will be required to close by 10 p.m. Neighboring Adams County went a step further, imposing a full nighttime curfew for 30 days.

China Reports Imported Cases; South Korea Tally Rises (9:25 a.m. HK)

China said it found 33 new cases for Nov. 6, with all of them being imported. South Korea confirmed a further 89 cases, bringing its total to 27,284.

Mexico, Argentina Report More Cases, Deaths (9:12 a.m. HK)

Mexico reported 5,931 more cases, bringing the total to 955,128. Deaths rose 551 to 94,323. Argentina reported 11,786 more cases, bringing its total to 1,228,814. There were 371 additional deaths.

WHO Says Six Nations Found Virus in Farmed Minks (8:12 a.m. HK)

The WHO weighed in on the outbreak of Covid-19 in minks, which has prompted Denmark to announce a cull of its farmed population of the animals. The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the U.S. have all reported finding the virus in farmed minks, the WHO said.

The WHO said more study is needed of the “cluster 5” variant found in the Danish outbreak, but that preliminary findings indicate it “has moderately decreased sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies.” It called for all countries to enhance surveillance for Covid-19 at the “animal-human interface” where susceptible animal reservoirs are identified.

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