NYC Taking Vaccines to Beaches; Moderna for Teens: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Moderna Inc.’s vaccine was highly effective in younger teens in a large study, putting it on track to become the second shot authorized in the U.S. for adolescents. A White House official said that half of American adults will be fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.

The impact of inoculations is causing a reversal of fortunes in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, with last month’s leader -- Singapore -- falling along with other Asian economies that had been lauded for thwarting the virus.

France is weighing whether to impose additional restrictions at its border with Britain to fend off the variant first identified in India. The British government warned people to avoid traveling to hot spots in England where the variant is spreading. Malaysia must prepare for the worst, Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah warned, as the country overtakes India in per capita daily cases.

Key Developments:

Yakutia Steps Up Russia’s Vaccine Drive (11 a.m. NY)

As Russia struggles to get its population to take the coronavirus vaccines heralded by President Vladimir Putin, the far east region of Yakutia is passing the strictest inoculation requirements yet.

All companies, both public-sector and private, are required to organize shots for their workers, according to a decree by the region’s chief medical authority. Employers that fail to do so may face fines, Yakutia President Aisen Nikolaev’s press service said separately.

The target is to cover at least 70% of all adults by July.

NYC Bringing Mobile Vaccine Units to Beaches (11 a.m. NY)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will bring mobile vaccination units to beaches and parks starting during the Memorial Day weekend and lasting through the summer, including the Rockaways, Coney Island, Central Park and Governors Island. De Blasio said that starting Tuesday there will be a vaccination site in front of Madison Square Garden, which will be offering people getting the shot a chance to win tickets to the next New York Knicks playoff game.

CDC Reports 10,000 Breakthrough Cases (11 a.m. NY)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of April 30 there were 10,262 cases of vaccinated people who were later infected with Covid-19 out of approximately 101 million people who are fully inoculated.

A small number of so-called breakthrough infections after full vaccination are to be expected because no vaccines are 100% effective. The CDC notes the reported cases are likely a substantial undercount since many people, especially those who are asymptomatic or have only mild illness, might not seek testing.

In May, health officials shifted to investigating only cases in which patients were hospitalized or died, drawing concern from some scientists who say that may mean missing needed data.

U.K. Says Avoid Hot Spots; France Mulls Curbs (9:47 a.m. NY)

The British government warned people to avoid traveling to hot spots in England where the variant first identified in India is spreading, as officials in France consider further curbs on passengers arriving from the U.K.

The guidance applies to eight areas including Hounslow in west London, the central England city of Leicester and the northwest towns of Blackburn and Bolton. People there should not meet up indoors or travel outside their districts, the government said.

Ireland to Lift U.K. Travel Curbs: Telegraph (8:20 a.m. NY)

Ireland is set to announce this week that it will remove the requirement for travelers arriving from the U.K. to self quarantine for 14 days, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported, even amid increasing concern about the spread of the variant first identified in India.

Authorities are watching the variant’s spread in the U.K. “very carefully,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin told reporters in Brussels. Irish officials declined to comment on the Telegraph report.

Moderna Shot Effective in Teens (8 a.m. NY)

Moderna Inc.’s vaccine was highly effective in 12- to 17-year-olds in a large study, paving the way for regulatory submissions around the world by early June.

In a news release, the company said its vaccine was between 93% and 100% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid in teenagers, depending on whether very mild cases are included in the count. The study met its primary goal of showing that immune responses to the vaccine were as good as those produced in adults, and no significant safety concerns were observed, according to the company.

Vietnam Says Some Factories Can Reopen (7:45 a.m. NY)

Some factories in Vietnam’s virus-hit northern province of Bac Giang, where suppliers for Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. operate, will be allowed to reopen as early as May 28, according to a statement from the provincial government.

Plants that meet required anti-virus procedures will be given permission to restart operations.

Antibiotics for Covid Worsen India’s Plight (7:30 a.m. NY)

Excessive use of the world’s most potent antibiotics has stoked drug-resistant infections in India for years. Now the country’s Covid crisis has put the calamity into hyperdrive.

A first look at the number of patients hospitalized during India’s first coronavirus wave who also developed bacterial and fungal infections found that a small but alarming proportion harbor germs that resist multiple drugs.

Doctors battling to save lives amid a dearth of effective treatments are turning to the drugs they have on hand -- and a lot of those are antibiotics that other countries wouldn’t use for Covid-19. What’s more, the chaos of overrun hospitals means staff can’t always take precautions to ensure infections don’t spread from one patient to the next.

France Weighs U.K. Border Restrictions (6:09 a.m. NY)

France will probably decide on Wednesday whether additional restrictions are needed at its border with the U.K. to fend off a variant first identified in India.

The U.K. is trying to make a case to France that extra curbs aren’t necessary, citing the large share of its vaccinated population, a person familiar with the discussions said. About 70% of adults in Britain have received at least one vaccine dose, and 40% both doses, but a new and potentially more contagious strain is spreading fast.

Asia Drops in Ranking as U.S./Europe Rise (5 p.m. HK)

The impact of vaccination is causing a reversal of fortunes in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, a monthly snapshot of the best and worst places to be in the coronavirus era.

Last month’s No. 1 -- Singapore -- fell in May along with other Asian economies. Taiwan and Japan dropped out of the top 10 amid sluggish inoculation drives and resurgent cases, while some of the world’s fiercest outbreaks held down places in Southeast and South Asia.

New Zealand regained the top position, but its vaccine rollout has barely started, leaving it potentially vulnerable.

In contrast, U.S. and parts of Europe have been steadily climbing up the ranking as outbreaks slowly wane. With vaccine protection growing, they’re restarting travel, scrapping mask mandates and looking to leave Covid-19 behind: The U.K. jumped 7 spots to 11th and the U.S. is No. 13. France, the Czech Republic and Poland saw double-digit increases in their positions.

India Records Lowest Case Surge Since April (4 p.m. HK)

India recorded 196,427 new infections Tuesday, the lowest one-day surge since April 14, bolstering data modeling estimates that suggest the nation’s deadly second wave peaked earlier this month. Covid-related casualties rose by 3,511 in the past 24 hours. The virus has sickened almost 27 million people and killed more than 307,200, according to latest data from the health ministry.

Hong Kong Expands Vaccine Eligibility (3:43 p.m. HK)

Hong Kong expanded eligibility for vaccines to Chinese residents who will stay in the city for a period of time with specific entry permits, according to a government statement. The authority is also preparing vaccinations for some refugees in Hong Kong.

Fear Grips Global Carmakers in India’s Detroit (3:18 p.m. HK)

Automakers with plants in Tamil Nadu, the industry’s hub in India, are suspending operations and reducing shifts as employees threaten to go on strike due to health concerns about Covid-19 in the southern state.

Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. is caught in a legal dispute with workers at its factory near Chennai, nicknamed the Detroit of India, who say their safety shouldn’t be compromised to meet production targets. The workers have also challenged the state’s decision to exempt the auto industry from local lockdown rules.

London’s West End Shows Signs of Life (2:44 p.m. HK)

Life is returning to the shops and restaurants of London’s West End, according to one of the district’s largest landlords.

Shaftesbury Plc’s vacancy rate peaked at 11.9% at the end of March, more than double that of a year earlier. That’s since edged lower as demand for empty stores and eateries ramps up, the company said in an earnings statement Tuesday.

Melbourne Cluster Sparks Restrictions (2:35 p.m. HK)

Gathering restrictions are being imposed in Melbourne as authorities race to clamp down on a cluster of cases that’s grown to at least nine.

Private gatherings in homes in Australia’s second-most-populous city will be limited to five visitors per day, while public gatherings will be restricted to 30, Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters. Masks will be mandatory when indoors in public spaces for people ages 12 and older, including in workplaces.

Thai King Approves Covid Borrowing Plan (1:47 p.m. HK)

King Maha Vajiralongkorn approved the government’s planned additional borrowing to fund measures to counter Thailand’s worst wave of coronavirus infections.

The Thai government may borrow or issue bonds totaling no more than 500 billion baht ($13 billion) until Sept. 30, 2022 to support an economy impacted by the pandemic, according to a Royal Gazette announcement.

Malaysia Faces ‘Vertical Surge’ (1:08 p.m. HK)

Malaysia’s daily case count has followed an exponential trend since April 1, the country’s health director-general said on Twitter.

The southeast Asian country is imposing stricter movement restrictions after daily infections and deaths surged to all-time highs this week. New Covid cases reached 216 per million on May 23, higher than 175 in India, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and the United Nations. However, there’s a statistical caveat that India’s numbers may undercount cases, especially in the villages, and the country’s death rate is higher.

Read more: Commodity Boom Slams Malaysia Builders Already Hurt by Covid

New Zealand Halts Victoria Travel Bubble (12:09 p.m. HK)

New Zealand is pausing travel with the Australian state of Victoria for 72 hours, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in an emailed statement.

The suspension will be in effect while the source of infection of five cases announced in Melbourne in the last two days is being investigated.

Vietnam Calls for Donations for Vaccine Fund (11:45 a.m. HK)

Hanoi authorities increased restrictions amid a growing outbreak in northern Vietnam, banning indoor dining, parties and closing parks and hair salons. The order follows a rising number of infections in the capital with a dozen untraceable cases. Residents are encouraged to work from home, the city government said on its website.

Prime Minister Chinh called on government agencies and ministries to seek donations to the nation’s vaccine fund, according to a post on the government’s website. Vietnam’s finance ministry has proposed setting up a fund to speed up purchases of vaccines.

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