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(Bloomberg) -- Group of Seven nations are giving a major boost to Covax, the global effort to fund vaccinations in lower-income countries, indicating momentum may be building toward a coordinated effort on the part of advanced economies to address the pandemic.The U.S. plans to contribute as much as $4 billion to the initiative while France will donate 5% of its secured supplies. The U.K. also will announce its commitment during a G-7 call Friday. Novavax Inc. separately said it will supply 1.1 billion doses of its shot to Covax.The vaccine supply in the U.S. is poised to double in the coming weeks and months, according to an analysis by Bloomberg, though winter storms across the country continue to slow the inoculation drive.A single dose of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine significantly reduced symptoms in the first four weeks after injection, according to an analysis. Brazil became the third country in the world to breach 10 million cases.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases exceed 110.2 million; deaths pass 2.4 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 193 million shots given worldwideA U.S. vaccine surge is coming, with millions of doses promisedCathay crew face 49-day work cycle on new quarantine rulesSingapore opens bubble for business travelers at Changi airportWhy delaying the second Covid shot is messy: 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.WHO Team Focuses on Ferret Badgers, Rabbits: WSJ (10:30 a.m. HK)A team of World Health Organization scientists is focusing on two animal types -- ferret badgers and rabbits -- in the search for the origins of the coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reported. The animals can carry the virus and were sold at a market in Wuhan, China, where the earliest cases of the coronavirus emerged.The researchers say further investigation is needed into suppliers of those and other animals at the market, the Journal reported. Team members have yet to establish all the animals sold at the market.Houston Resuming Vaccinations as Crisis Ebbs (9:07 a.m. HK)Houston plans to resume virus vaccinations and testing on Friday for the first time since an unprecedented winter storm and power outages paralyzed Texas for the better part of a week.Harris County Public Health will undertake a “modified” schedule of shots and tests on Friday and return to normal, full operations on Monday, according to a statement. The fourth-largest U.S. city is still contending with the aftermath of days-long blackouts, road closures and water-service disruptions stemming from a freak winter storm that began last weekend.Singapore Opens Bubble for Business Travelers (8:20 a.m. HK)Singapore has started taking applications for a program that will allow people to enter the island for business and official purposes without having to quarantine for 14 days. The catch? They’ll have to stay in a bubble-like facility near Changi Airport, and can’t leave.The first visitors under the so-called Connect@Changi program are expected to arrive next month, Alan Thompson, joint head of strategic development at Temasek International, said Thursday. Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state investment firm, is supporting the initiative.U.K. Plans to Donate Surplus Vaccines (7:55 a.m. HK)Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce on Friday that the U.K. will donate surplus coronavirus vaccines to developing countries to boost the global battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.The “majority” of any future U.K. surplus coronavirus vaccines will be shared with the World Health Organization-backed Covax program, Johnson’s office said late Thursday in a statement. That’s on top of the 548 million pounds ($766 million) the country has already donated to the program, which is aimed at supplying some of the world’s poorest nations with inoculations.Johnson on Friday will host a video call among the leaders of the Group of Seven nations, during which he’ll encourage them to increase their Covax funding, according to the statement.Single Pfizer Shot Reduced Illness in Health Workers (7:35 a.m. HK)A single dose of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE significantly reduced Covid-19 symptoms in the first four weeks after injection, according to an analysis that gives early support to efforts to extend scarce doses.Among health-care workers who got the vaccine, symptomatic infections were reduced by 85% in the 15 to 28 days after the first dose, compared with those who didn’t get a shot, according to the report in The Lancet medical journal. While most workers received a second dose on schedule -- about three weeks after the first -- the booster would only have just started to kick in by the end of the study, so it was essentially looking at the effects of one dose, researchers said Thursday.The result gives preliminary support to health officials who recommend postponing second shots to quickly get first doses to as many people as possible.Novavax to Supply 1 Billion Doses to Poorer Countries (5:40 p.m. NY)Novavax Inc. will supply 1.1 billion doses of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine to Covax, a global alliance many low and middle-income countries are relying on to protect their populations from the virus.The Covax Facility is an effort led by the World Health Organization, The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Novavax, along with its manufacturing and distribution partner the Serum Institute of India, announced the commitment in a statement on Thursday, sending shares of the U.S. drugmaker up 7% in post-market trading. Novavax and Gavi haven’t yet finalized the advanced purchase agreement for supply of the two-shot regimen.Weather Forces L.A. to Shut Vaccine Sites (5:19 p.m. NY)Los Angeles shut down vaccine distribution on Friday at some of its largest sites, including Dodger Stadium, due to supply shortages. Approximately 12,500 residents were to receive an email or text message telling them of the delay, Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement Thursday.It is the second time this month the city has shut distribution sites due to supply curtailments. In neighboring Orange County, Disneyland temporarily shut its vaccination site as storms delayed the delivery of supplies.Biden to Pledge $4 Billion to Vaccines for Poorer Nations (5:10 p.m. NY)The U.S. will contribute as much as $4 billion to Covax, the global effort to fund vaccinations in lower-income countries, but doesn’t plan on shipping any of its own vaccines abroad until the nation’s own demand has been met, officials familiar with the matter said.President Joe Biden will announce during a Group of Seven call on Friday that the U.S. will commit $2 billion immediately to the program and pledge another $2 billion with conditions designed to spur contributions from other countries, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.Florida Nears 30,000 Deaths (3:11 p.m. NY)Florida is poised to pass 30,000 total fatalities, the fourth state in the U.S. to do so.The state hit 29,990 deaths, combining residents and non-residents, on Thursday amid declining cases, hospitalizations and, more recently, fatalities. In order, the states with the most deaths are California, New York and Texas, each with more than 40,000.Brazil Hits 10 Million Covid Cases (3:08 p.m. NY)Brazil cases surpassed 10 million, with infections picking up speed in recent weeks as a new variant spreads amid a shortage of vaccines.Latin America’s largest nation reported 51,879 new cases Thursday, pushing the total confirmed to 10,030,626, according to Health Ministry data. It’s a toll that lags only the U.S. and India. Deaths rose by 1,367 to 243,457, the second-highest globally.“Brazil’s situation is really bad, with contagion at high levels. We’re seeing health systems in several states either in collapse or close to it,” said Estevao Urbano, an infectious disease expert and director at Brazil’s Infectology Society.A U.S. Vaccine Surge Is Coming (2:48 p.m. NY)The U.S. vaccine supply is poised to double in the coming weeks and months, according to an analysis by Bloomberg, allowing a broad expansion of doses administered across the country.Currently, the U.S. is administering 1.6 million doses a day, constrained by the recent supply of about 10 million to 15 million doses a week. But Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers and U.S. officials have accelerated their production timelines and signaled that the spigots are about to open, providing hundreds of millions of doses to match the growing capacity to immunize people at pharmacies and mass-vaccination sites.A review of drugmakers’ public statements and their supply deals suggests that the number of vaccines delivered should rise to almost 20 million a week in March, more than 25 million a week in April and May, and over 30 million a week June. By summer, it would be enough to give 4.5 million shots a day.France to Donate 5% of Vaccine to Poorer Countries (1:59 p.m. NY)France is committing to donate 5% of its secured Covid-19 vaccine supplies to poorer countries through the World Health Organization-backed Covax program.A multilateral approach via Covax -- a global alliance many developing nations are relying on for inoculations -- is the most efficient way to show solidarity, a French official who asked not to be named in line with protocol, said Thursday.Canada Speeds Vaccines After Slow Start (12:37 p.m. NY)Canada has begun to accelerate its vaccine rollout after delivery disruptions became a major political headache for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.In an update by public-health officials Thursday, the government announced the pace of deliveries of both the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. shots is ramping up as of this week.As many as 14.5 million of Canada’s 38 million people should be inoculated by the end of June, according to an updated timeline, up from the 13 million the government expected previously.Fauci Says Weather Slowing Vaccinations (12:29 p.m. NY)Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease doctor in the U.S., said winter storms and bad weather have brought vaccinations to a “grinding halt” in some places.Vaccines have been administered below the daily average of 1.6 million shots, measured over a week, for the last three days, according to the Bloomberg vaccine tracker.New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said snowstorms and bad weather resulted in the loss of several days of vaccine supply, as well as the delayed open of two vaccination sites.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.
