Fauci Hints at Relaxed Rules; U.K. Airlines Soar: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, suggested that the U.S. may soon issue guidance easing public health protocols for people who are fully vaccinated. And the U.S. might be looking at a surge in vaccine availability next month.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he’s “very optimistic” that England’s restrictions on social contact will end in June, and airline bookings have started to surge in Britain. Meanwhile, the U.K.’s finance minister is planning more economic aid after pandemic curbs pushed up unemployment.

Thailand may waive quarantines for vaccinated visitors to help revive tourism. Italy is imposing a new hard lockdown in areas close to the country’s original coronavirus epicenter.

Key Developments:

Subscribe 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.

U.S. Looks for a Surge in Vaccine Supply (4:15 p.m. NY)

Johnson & Johnson said it will be ready next month to ship 20 million doses of its one-shot vaccine. That adds to a coming surge in vaccine availability in the U.S., according to a Bloomberg analysis of drugmaker promises.

Along with vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., which both require two doses, the delivery targets through next month will be enough to fully vaccinate 130 million Americans.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee scheduled a meeting for Sunday and Monday regarding J&J’s application for emergency use of its vaccine candidate. An authorization could swiftly follow the meeting.

Astra Cuts 2Q Delivery to EU by Half (2:45 p.m. NY)

A person familiar with the matter confirmed a report by Reuters that AstraZeneca is expected to deliver about half the Covid-19 vaccines it had committed to supply the European Union in the second quarter.

According to Reuters, the company told EU officials it would deliver fewer than 90 million doses, compared with a commitment of 180 million.

The shortfall would not impact the EU’s target of vaccinating 70% of the adult population by the end of the summer, the person said.

Dutch Government Moves to Relax Lockdown (1:45 p.m. NY)

The Dutch government will take “a little bit more risk” in relaxing a few lockdown measures as Prime Minister Mark Rutte seeks to balance the battle against the outbreak with a pandemic-weary public and frustrated closed businesses. Secondary schools will partly reopen, shopping with an appointment will be allowed and barbers and other so-called contact jobs can reopen. The government announced the new measures hours after case numbers showed an increase in the week ending Feb. 23. A much debated nighttime curfew will be extended until March 15.

Ireland to Stay in Lockdown (1:15 p.m. NY)

Ireland’s government will maintain its strict lockdown regime until at least April 5, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a national address. Non-essential stores, bars and personal services -- which have been closed for over six weeks -- will remain shuttered, and people will have to stay within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from home. In one change, schools will reopen on a phased basis next month. Offering some hope, Martin said over 80% of adults will have been given at least a first vaccine dose by the end of June.

South Africa Calls for Global Shot Equity (11:45 a.m. NY)

South African President Cyril Rampahosa backed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for wealthy countries to donate 5% of their vaccines to poorer nations.

“We need to pool our resources, capabilities, knowledge and intellectual property” to ensure equitable access to vaccines and medical supplies across the globe, Ramaphosa said Tuesday.

South Africa and India have urged the World Trade Organization to suspend intellectual-property rights related to Covid-19 to ensure access to vaccines and medication for all.

U.S. Steps Up Genetic Sequencing (11 a.m. NY)

The U.S. is now analyzing about 14,000 coronavirus cases each week with genetic sequencing to detect faster-spreading variants, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

That’s up from 250 sequences per week when Walensky took office last month.

South Africa Has Concerns About Sputnik (11 a.m. NY)

South Africa has held extensive talks with the manufacturers of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine and has concerns about its efficacy against a variant of the coronavirus first identified in the country.

The country is also concerned about the adenovirus 5 vector used in the shot, which has in previous studies appeared to make people more susceptible to HIV infection, Anban Pillay, deputy director-general in the Department of Health, said on Tuesday.

The country’s health authorities don’t think that the vaccine produced by Novavax Inc. is suitable for the country because of its low efficacy against the variant, he said. Talks have been held with India’s Bharat Biotech International Ltd., he said.

Serbia Sees Spike After Ski Holiday (10:30 a.m. NY)

Daily infections spiked to the highest in two months in Serbia, despite one of the fastest vaccinations in Europe. The biggest former Yugoslav republic reported 3,257 new Covid-10 cases on Tuesday, most since Dec. 25, a spike the authorities warned would happen after tens of thousands used a long February weekend to go skiing and ditched face masks too soon.

Scotland Eyes Major Reopening in April (10:05 a.m. NY)

Scotland is targeting a substantial reopening of its economy from late April if recent progress in suppressing the virus continues, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that any decisions on an easing of rules will be driven by “data not dates.”

The Scottish government is aiming to reopen shops, bars, restaurants and hairdressers from the last week of April, in the first major easing of nationwide lockdown rules that were introduced at the end of last year. Before that, other restrictions, such as the stay-at-home requirement, will be progressively eased if the data allows, she told lawmakers in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

U.S. May Soon Ease Rules for Vaccinated: Fauci (9 a.m. NY)

Anthony Fauci suggested Tuesday that the federal government may soon issue guidance easing public health protocols for fully vaccinated individuals.

“When you say, wait a minute, if I’m fully vaccinated, and my daughter comes in the house and she’s fully vaccinated, do we really” need the same strict rules? Fauci said on CNN. “Common sense tells you that, in fact, you don’t have to be as stringent in your public health measures.”

Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, cautioned that he didn’t want to get ahead of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he said could be forthcoming.

New Hard Lockdown in Northern Italy (7:52 a.m. NY)

Italy plans to impose a hard lockdown in the northern province of Brescia and other municipalities of the Lombardy region following a surge of infections related to variants of Covid-19. The area is close to the original epicenter of the pandemic in Italy.

One in Four in Lagos May Have Had Covid (6:39 a.m. NY)

One in four people in Africa’s biggest city may have had Covid-19. A survey showed that 23% of people in the West African nation’s commercial hub of Lagos, which has a population of 21 million people, have been infected. That’s far above the official estimate of 152,616 cases in the whole of Nigeria.

Germany Extends Border Controls (6:38 a.m. NY)

People traveling to Germany from the Czech Republic and the Austrian province of Tyrol face border controls until at least March 3 after restrictions were extended by eight days, news agency DPA reported, citing a spokesman for the interior ministry.

The measures have been in place since Feb. 14 to stem the spread of aggressive variants. The new end date coincides with a scheduled meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers to discuss next steps.

Airline Bookings Surge on U.K. Reopening Plan (6:34 a.m. NY)

U.K. holidaymakers have begun showering airlines with summer bookings after Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined a road map for air travel to return.

EasyJet Plc ticket sales more than quadrupled in the hours after Johnson said Monday that international trips may restart as soon as May 17. Tour operator TUI AG said holiday bookings to Spain, Turkey and Greece jumped sixfold overnight, while Ryanair Holdings Plc cited Italy as another popular destination.

Johnson ‘Very Optimistic’ on June Reopening (6:12 a.m. NY)

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he’s “very optimistic” that England’s restrictions on social contact will end on June 21 but there is no guarantee, according to a pooled interview on Sky TV. The vaccine rollout has “made all the difference,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is set to spend billions of pounds in extra support for the economy over the next four months, as pandemic curbs pushed unemployment to its highest level in almost five years.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.