Europe Vaccine Delays; First Hong Kong Lockdown: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Italy expects significant delays to its coronavirus vaccination program in the coming week due to a drop in vaccine deliveries from manufacturers. Germany said its vaccine shortages will last for the next six to eight weeks. That comes amid rising anger across the region over tardy vaccine supplies, and makes it more difficult for European countries, already lagging behind the U.S. and the U.K. in the race to inoculate citizens, to catch up.

The U.K.’s third coronavirus lockdown looks set to endure as the government warned it’s too early to contemplate easing restrictions. U.S. President Joe Biden presented a national strategy to combat the coronavirus, saying the pandemic is likely to claim another 100,000 lives over roughly the next month.

Hong Kong will lock down tens of thousands of residents in Kowloon’s core urban district, local media reported, the most severe step it has taken against Covid and a blow to the government’s approach of keeping the economy largely running during the pandemic. Indonesia and Mexico reported record daily death tolls.

Key Developments:

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Germany Sees Another Six to Eight Weeks of Vaccine Shortages (4:18 p.m. HK)

Chancellor Angela’s Merkel’s chief of staff said Germany’s shortage of Covid-19 vaccine will last for the next six to eight weeks until more shots receive approval and companies can ramp up production.

“It was clear to us that we wouldn’t have so much vaccine available at the start,” Helge Braun, who runs Merkel’s office, said late Thursday on ARD television. Vaccines from AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson are expected to be approved soon and that will help speed up the vaccination program, he added.

Hungary Agrees With Russia on Major Sputnik Vaccine Purchase (4:14 p.m. HK)

Russia has agreed to supply “large quantities” of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to Hungary, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

Hungary this week became the first European Union nation to grant emergency approval to Russia’s vaccine. The government in Budapest cited the slow arrival of EU-negotiated western vaccines, including from Pfizer Inc-BioNtech SE and Moderna Inc., for the need to secure alternative supplies.

Israel to Extend Vaccination Drive to Students From Age 16 (3:58 p.m. HK)

Israel will widen its vaccination drive to high school students from the age of 16, beginning next week, the Health Ministry said late Thursday. The decision is intended to help facilitate matriculation examinations. Until now, the government has given preference to older age groups, gradually reducing the minimum age to 40. More than 27% of the population has received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech SE vaccine, and close to 10%, a second dose.

Shanghai Says 840,000 Vaccinated as New Covid Cases Emerge (3:57 p.m. HK)

The city has vaccinated about 840,000 of its 24 million residents as of Friday, local health official Wu Jinglei said at a briefing.

Local authorities are currently prioritizing key categories such as medical staff and port workers in vaccination. A hotel in Shanghai’s Huangpu district has been classified as a medium-risk area because of a link to the country’s latest local Covid cases.

Johnson Signals Third U.K. Lockdown Could Last Into Summer (3:55 p.m. HK)

The U.K.’s third coronavirus lockdown looks set to endure as the government warned it’s too early to contemplate easing restrictions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel did not repeat previous assurances that the U.K. will be getting back to normal by April, even as the mass vaccination program continued to expand to reach five million people.

Instead, the government focus shifted to reinforcing compliance with the current restrictions, amid concerns that too many people are still flouting the rules, making it harder to control the spread of the disease.

Italy Blames Pfizer Delays as Vaccinations Slow to a Crawl (3:06 p.m. HK)

Italy’s coronavirus vaccination campaign could come to a near standstill next week amid rising anger across Europe over a slowdown in vaccine deliveries.

“We received 29% fewer doses this week, and there will be a further 20% decline next week” from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, the country’s virus emergency czar Domenico Arcuri said in a press conference on Thursday. Since Saturday the pace of vaccinations has slowed to 28,000 a day from about 80,000, with shots halted altogether in some areas like Rome and the surrounding Lazio region.

Italy, which aims to vaccinate the whole population by this fall, is already delaying the next step in its campaign, which involves giving shots to those over 80. So far, the nation has vaccinated 1.3 million people, or 2.1% of the population.

Chinese Vaccine Maker to Offer Pakistan 20 Million Doses (1:53 p.m. HK)

CanSino Biologics Inc. has offered 20 million shots to Pakistan as it gets ready to release efficacy results from phase III trials there, according to its local partner.

The Chinese maker of the single-shot vaccine will give Pakistan preferential access and pricing, said Hasan Abbas Zaheer, technical adviser at AJM Pharma Pvt., the local partner. It has already applied for approval from Pakistan’s drug regulator. The company also plans to cut the cost of procuring the vaccines by 25% by filling the vials locally.

Thailand Stepping up Efforts to Find Cases (1:46 p.m. HK)

Thailand reported 309 new coronavirus cases Friday, higher than the seven-day rolling average of 236. Health authorities will step up active case-finding efforts over the weekend in Samut Sakhon and Bangkok provinces as infections continue to rise among workers in industrial factories.

Despite the outbreak, schools in 20 out of 28 Thai provinces deemed high-risk will be allowed to open Feb. 1 as scheduled, the country’s education minister said.

Mongolian Party Nominates New PM After Covid Protests (12:01 p.m. HK)

The ruling Mongolian People’s Party nominated Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai as the next prime minister following Khurelsukh Ukhnaa’s resignation Thursday, after protests against his government’s Covid-19 control measures erupted in Ulaanbaatar. Oyun-Erdene has served as chief cabinet secretary since 2019.

India to Begin Vaccine Shipments to Brazil, Morocco (11:20 a.m. HK)

India will begin commercial shipments of Covid-19 vaccines to Brazil and Morocco on Friday, followed by Saudi Arabia and South Africa. “There’s huge international demand for our vaccines,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla told Bloomberg TV.

Hong Kong to Lock Down Part of Kowloon: SCMP (10:31 a.m. HK)

Hong Kong for the first time will lock down tens of thousands of residents in a bid to contain the worsening outbreak, the South China Morning Post reported. The lockdown is expected to begin this weekend in Yau Tsim Mong, the core urban district of Kowloon. The Hang Seng Index dropped as much as 1.7% after the report.

The city’s infection curve appears to be ticking back up after mass testing was conducted in some housing estates. The Kowloon lockdown is the most severe step the city has taken yet after the government sought to keep the economy largely running during the pandemic.

Residents of Shanghai Area Banned from Leaving City (10:30 a.m. HK)

Residents of an area of Shanghai have been banned from leaving the city after six Covid cases were found in the finance hub, the first cases there in almost two months. The National Health Commission also reported 47 cases in Heilongjiang province on Friday, as well as three in Beijing.

Beijing is expanding testing in two central districts that are home to almost 2 million residents. Schools in Beijing will be suspended from Saturday, and one Beijing district and multiple cities in neighboring Hebei province have been put under lockdown.

J&J to Have 100m Vaccines for U.S. by Spring: CNBC (10:17 a.m. HK)

Johnson & Johnson could significantly expand the amount of vaccines for the U.S. in coming weeks, aiming to have 100 million vaccines available by April, board member Dr. Mark McLellan told CNBC.

Earlier, Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease doctor, said the company has enough data from its late-stage vaccine trial to begin analysis, possibly in a week or two. J&J previously had said it would have a first chance to review data from its late-stage trial of 45,000 volunteers in the last week of January or the first week of February, consistent with Fauci’s timeline.

Mexico Reports Record Daily Death Toll (9:20 a.m. HK)

Mexico saw 1,803 deaths from Covid, the country’s Health Ministry said Thursday evening, the second single-day record this week.

Canada to Get 4m Pfizer Vaccine Doses by End-March (9:18 a.m. HK)

Canada is expected to receive 4 million vaccine doses from Pfizer by the end of March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet after speaking with company CEO Albert Bourla.

Philippines Eases Some Movement Restrictions on Minors (8:57 a.m. HK)

The Philippines is relaxing movement restrictions on minors in areas under the lowest quarantine level, a step that economic managers support despite Health Department warnings. The lowest age allowed to leave homes was lowered to 10 from 15 in places under modified general community quarantine, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Local governments in areas under the second-lowest quarantine level, like those in the Manila region, are “enjoined to adopt the same relaxation of age restrictions.”

France to Require PCR Tests for All Travelers: Reuters (8:54 a.m. HK)

French President Emmanuel Macron told European Union counterparts France would make PCR tests compulsory for all travelers into France from Sunday, including from fellow EU countries, his office said Thursday, according to a Reuters report. The test will have to be carried out no later than 72 hours before departure, according to the report.

Japan to Start Inoculation Program With Pfizer Vaccine (8:46 a.m. HK)

Japan will start its inoculation program using Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine, with the launch expected from late February, the government’s point man for the campaign told reporters. The inoculations will start with about 10,000 medical personnel.

S. Korea Cases Rise by Least in Almost 9 Weeks (8:44 a.m. HK)

South Korea reported 346 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, the lowest level in almost nine weeks, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Deaths rose by 12.

Air Crews to Face Two-Week Quarantine in Hong Kong (8:04 a.m. HK)

All air crews arriving in Hong Kong will be required to quarantine for 14 days at designated hotels, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, citing the territory’s food and health secretary.

Indonesia Sees Record Death Count (8:01 a.m. HK)

Indonesia recorded its highest Covid death toll since the outbreak began as movement restrictions were extended for two more weeks in Java and Bali. The authorities confirmed 346 deaths in the 24 hours through midday Thursday, taking the total to more than 27,000.

After the restrictions were extended, Resorts World Genting, the hilltop casino, said it will close for two weeks.

Biden Unveils National Strategy for Covid-19 (2:55 p.m. NY)

President Biden announced a series of executive actions aimed at overhauling the federal response to the pandemic, which has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the U.S. He repeated his warning that the crisis will worsen before it improves, and that the U.S. will experience a “dark winter.”

“We’ll move heaven and Earth to get more people vaccinated for free,” Biden said Thursday. “The brutal truth is it’s going to take months before we can get the majority of Americans vaccinated.”

He also encouraged Americans to begin wearing masks more frequently, saying this simple precaution could save 50,000 lives through April.

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