BofA Plans Office Return, California Eases Rules: Virus Update
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(Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp. expects all of its vaccinated employees to return to the office after Labor Day in early September, and will then focus on developing plans for returning unvaccinated workers. BlackRock Inc. will allow only fully-vaccinated workers to come back to work starting next month.
The Japanese government and Olympic organizers are making final arrangements to set a cap of 10,000 spectators for the Tokyo games, the Yomiuri newspaper reports, citing several unidentified officials. California, which reopened the state earlier this week, is easing Covid-related safety rules in the workplace and allow vaccinated workers to decide whether they need to wear masks.
The U.K. recorded the most cases in a day since mid-February, amid warnings the current wave of infections driven by the highly transmissible delta variant may still be weeks from peaking.
Key Developments:
Global Tracker: Cases exceed 177.2 million; deaths pass 3.8 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 2.51 billion doses administeredExpats in Singapore, Hong Kong watch with envy as world opens upJapan’s ‘Dr. Fauci’ damps Olympic mood with call to ban fansPockets of unvaccinated Americans threaten to prolong pandemicSubscribe to a daily update from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here.
California Makes Masks Optional for Vaccinated Workers (6:55 a.m. HK)
A California mandate that fully vaccinated workers wear face coverings while on the job was reversed Thursday by the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board with a 5-1 vote. Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order following the vote that enables the change to take effect without the normal 10-day review period by the Office of Administrative Law.
“Fully vaccinated workers are no longer required to wear masks at work,” Newsom said in a tweet.
Deal Reported Near Cap to Olympic Spectators (6:15 a.m. NY)
The Japanese government and Olympic organizers are making final arrangements to set a cap of 10,000 spectators for the Tokyo games, the Yomiuri newspaper reports, citing several unidentified officials.
U.S. Vaccinations Rise (5:52 p.m. NY)
The U.S. recorded 2.05 million vaccinations Thursday, the most in almost a month. The total is the highest since May 22, according to data collected by the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. The seven-day average, now at 1.33 million doses, has been rising since a trough the first week in June but remains far below a peak of more than 3 million in mid-April.
In the U.S., 315 million doses have been given so far. About 65% of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one dose as the country edges toward President Joe Biden’s target 70% by July 4.
U.S. Eases Exports to Iran, Venezuela, Syria (5 p.m. NY)
The U.S. eased trade restrictions on Iran, Venezuela and Syria to temporarily allow expanded exports of equipment and services to help stem the Covid-19 pandemic.
The humanitarian exemptions include transactions and activities such as the delivery of face masks, ventilators and oxygen tanks, vaccines and the production of vaccines, Covid-19 tests, air filtration systems and field hospitals, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement.
The shift is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to review U.S. sanctions that could be hindering the global Covid response, according to the statement.
Columbia Nears 100,000 Deaths (4:21 p.m. NY)
Protest-wracked Colombia is fast on track to surpass 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 as the government tries to balance letting citizens work -- and eat -- with protecting them from the pandemic by reopening large swathes of the economy.
A slow vaccination rollout and social upheaval have meant that infections and mortality in Colombia continue to rise. Just in the past five days, the country of 50 million has marked records in daily deaths, registering as many as 599 fatalities on Tuesday alone. At the current rate, Colombia will hit 100,000 deaths as soon as Sunday.
NYC Subways Hit Pandemic High (4:19 p.m. NY)
New York City’s subway system reached a record 2.5 million customers on Wednesday, about 44% of pre-pandemic era ridership, and the highest level since the Covid-19 outbreak, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Thursday.
The MTA is the largest mass-transit provider in the U.S. While the 2.5 million customers is below the pre-pandemic weekday average of 5.5 million, subway ridership has been increasing as New York City fully reopens, with more businesses asking employees to work from their offices, and cultural and entertainment venues loosening restrictions.
Washington Expands Lottery to Military (3:51 p.m. NY)
Governor Jay Inslee expanded Washington state’s vaccine lottery to veterans and people in the military, offering a prize of $250,000 for those who are vaccinated. He said in a news conference that military members or veterans who received shots from the federal government would be eligible for the prizes, which also include two giveaways of $100,000 in cash and other awards starting at the end of June.
“We want to say thank you to our veterans and active duty personnel,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference on Thursday.
Washington is one of more than half a dozen states offering lottery prizes and tuition as an incentive for people to get vaccinated. Overall, the state’s grand prize is $1 million, to be awarded after a July 13 drawing.
Gambia Runs Out of Astra Shots (3:21 p.m. NY)
Gambia, which started its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in March, has already run out of AstraZeneca shots.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the public that the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is out of stock in the country,” the government said in a statement Thursday. The statement did not say when new doses would be imported.
Illinois Reports 64 Cases of Delta Variant (2:03 p.m. NY)
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said his biggest concern about the more-transmissible delta variant first found in India is children younger than 12 years old, who aren’t eligible for vaccination. The state reported on Thursday that it had identified 64 cases of the variant.
“The delta variant seems to have been predominant among people who are unvaccinated, so those kids are who I’m focused on,” the Democratic governor said in a news conference on Thursday. “So far it appears that the available vaccines are resistant to the delta variant.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday classified delta as a “variant of concern” and said it now made up 10% of sampled cases. CDC data show it accounts for just above 2% of cases in Illinois. The state with the highest percentage is Missouri, at almost 7%.
BlackRock to Allow Back Vaccinated Workers (12:48 p.m. NY)
BlackRock Inc. is adjusting its plans for U.S. employees to return to the office, allowing only fully-vaccinated workers to come back to work starting next month.
The world’s biggest asset manager said that U.S.-based employees who’ve been inoculated can resume in-person work in July and August if they’d like to, according to a memo from the New York-based company. Unvaccinated staffers are not allowed in the office as of then, the memo said.
Tanzania Ends No-Vaccine Policy (12:42 p.m. NY)
Tanzania has submitted a formal request to the Covax facility to receive vaccines, potentially bringing to a close the downplaying of the disease that left the country as one of three in Africa with no plans to inoculate its people.
“Tanzania has submitted to the Covax facility its vaccine request form and is currently preparing a Covid-19 vaccine deployment plan,” said Richard Mihigo, coordinator of the immunization programme at the World Health Organization’s Africa office.
Portugal Limits Lisbon Travel (12:37 p.m. NY)
The Portuguese government will limit travel to and from the greater Lisbon area during the weekend following an increase in cases in the region.
The restrictions on movement will apply from 3 p.m. on Friday, with exceptions including international travel, Presidency Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said on Thursday. “Apparently there is a greater prevalence of the delta variant” in the region, the minister said.
U.K. Cases Surge (12:19 p.m. NY)
The U.K. recorded the most coronavirus cases in a day since mid-February, amid warnings the current wave of infections driven by the highly transmissible delta variant may still be weeks from peaking.
More than 11,000 new cases of the disease were reported on Thursday, along with 19 deaths, according to the Department Health. A study by Public Health England showed infection rates increasing across all age groups, but are highest among peopleaged 20 to 29.
U.S. Invests in Antiviral Drugs (12:08 p.m. NY)
The U.S. will invest $3.2 billion into developing antiviral medicines to combat Covid-19 and other viruses with pandemic potential, the Health and Human Services Department said Thursday.
Dubbed the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, the effort led by U.S. health agencies will support the discovery, development and production of antiviral treatments for Covid-19 and future viral threats, HHS said. The collaboration, bringing together the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, aims to develop antivirals that could be taken at home soon after someone gets sick.
U.S. Shots to Reach Taiwan Soon (11:06 a.m. NY)
Jonathan Fritz, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for China, Mongolia and Taiwan coordination, said shipments may be headed to Taiwan in less than a few weeks. Fritz, testifying to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee panel, said getting the vaccines to Taiwan is a priority, “keeping in mind a number of critical industries including semiconductors, for example, could be affected.”
BofA Sets Office Return Date (10:18 a.m. NY)
Bank of America Corp. expects all of its vaccinated employees to return to the office after Labor Day in early September, and will then focus on developing plans for returning unvaccinated workers to its sites.
More than 70,000 of the firm’s employees have voluntarily disclosed their vaccine status to the bank, Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said in a Bloomberg Television interview Thursday. The firm, which has more than 210,000 employees globally, has already invited those who have received their shots to begin returning.
Kenya Restricts Internal Travel (10:05 a.m. NY)
Kenya announced restrictions on movement into and out of 13 counties located in the western part of the country nearing Uganda.
The areas constitute 60% of the national caseload and the surge of infections in the region is further compounded by their proximity to Uganda, which has recorded a spike in cases, according to an emailed statement from Mutahi Kagwe, Kenya’s health secretary.
WHO Warns on Third African Wave (8:45 a.m. NY)
African cases rose by more than a fifth week-on-week, pushing infections to more than 5 million, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said on Thursday. The spike in infections should push countries and governments into “urgent action” to expand vaccinations and inoculate priority groups, she said.
U.K. Weighs Easing Foreign Travel (8:30 a.m. NY)
British officials are considering plans to open up international travel for passengers who have been fully vaccinated. Under the policy, which is still being discussed inside government, people who have received both doses of Covid vaccines would not need to quarantine on returning from medium-risk countries on the so-called amber list.
Airline shares surged on the possible adjustment. Under current rules, destinations are coded red for the highest infection risk, amber for medium risk and green for the lowest risk. Travelers are advised against going to amber or red-list countries.
South Africa Positivity Surges (2:42 p.m. HK)
South Africa recorded 13,246 confirmed coronavirus cases over 24 hours and a positivity rate of 21.7% on tests, the highest since January, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases said.
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