Surge in South Africa Hub; Merkel Mixes Vaccines: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- India administered 8.62 million vaccine doses in the past 24 hours, a daily record for the nation, as its new cases dropped to the lowest since March. Meanwhile, a string of countries across Africa, Asia and other regions have run out of vaccines or are on the brink of doing so.

Infections surged to a record in South Africa’s industrial hub of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria. Singapore identified two more virus clusters in a large neighborhood outside the city center where the government widened mandatory testing in response to an outbreak.

Moscow moved to ban unvaccinated guests from restaurants and cafes. Abu Dhabi is offering shots to tourists, a move that may help attract visitors from countries that have supply constraints. Russian businesses are trying to encourage vaccinations through raffles and days off.

Key Developments:

Moscow Restaurants to Ban Unvaccinated (9:23 a.m. NY)

Moscow moved to ban unvaccinated guests from restaurants and cafes while the city’s hospital system works at capacity amid a record number of infections.

Starting Monday, people will need to show a QR code that proves they have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 within the last six months or received a negative PCR test in the last three days, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his blog.

More than 2 million residents in the city of 12.7 million have received at least one dose, and demand for vaccines has risen as much as fivefold since a citywide order requiring many workers to get inoculated, the mayor said. Still, the vaccine push will take up to three months to get results, forcing the city to institute new restrictions, according to Sobyanin.

More Moderna Doses for EU (9:22 a.m. NY)

The European Commission purchased an additional 150 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine, bringing its confirmed order commitment to 460 million doses, according to a statement from the company. Under the terms of the agreement -- which includes the ability to buy other Covid-19 vaccine candidates from Moderna’s pipeline -- delivery of the company’s updated variant booster candidate will begin in 2022, subject to regulatory approval, the statement said.

The additional doses “could be used for primary vaccination, including of children, or possibly as a booster if that becomes necessary,” said Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive officer.

Earlier, European Union Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the bloc had reached a new deal to provide vaccines for 2022 and 2023. The EU will acquire a portfolio of different shots to secure immunity against mutations, she said after a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

S. Africa Unions to Support Vaccine Refusers (9:06 a.m. NY)

At least two South African labor unions have vowed to support workers who are threatened with dismissal if they refuse to be vaccinated. That follows a directive by the Department of Employment and Labour earlier this month that made provision for employers to implement a mandatory vaccination policy.

Union Solidarity said it will take employers to court who dismiss workers because of their choice not to be vaccinated, while the South African Parastatal and Tertiary Institutions Union said employers can’t issue a “one-size-fits-all” policy about shots.

Merkel Gets Moderna After Astra Shot: DPA (9:04 a.m. NY)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received a second Covid vaccine dose, DPA reported, citing her spokesman. Merkel, 66, was given a Moderna shot a few days ago, mixing vaccines after first receiving AstraZeneca on April 16.

India Cites 22 Cases of Delta Mutation (9 a.m. NY)

India has found 22 cases of a mutation of the delta variant in the states of Maharashtra -- home to the financial capital, Mumbai -- Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, federal Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.

The delta variant was the primary cause of India’s devastating second wave that swamped hospitals and crematoriums in April and May.

Uganda Olympic Team Members Quarantined (8:39 a.m. NY)

Eight members of the Ugandan Olympic team have been quarantined in Japan after a coach tested positive, AFP News Agency reported.

Cuba Says Its Vaccine Is 92% Effective (8:24 a.m. NY)

Cuba’s homemade three-shot vaccine, known as Abdala, is 92% effective against Covid-19, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said.

The government didn’t provide any further details. The drug has been undergoing clinical trials since March. On Saturday, Cuba said another vaccine developed on the island nation, called Soberana 02, had proven to be 62% effective against the virus when two doses were administered.

China to Keep Border Curbs for a Year: DJ (7:44 a.m. NY)

China plans to keep coronavirus-related restrictions on its border for at least another year amid concerns about new variants and hosting large events, Dow Jones reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Denmark Makes Astra Donation to Kenya (7:14 a.m. NY)

Kenya received 358,700 AstraZeneca vaccines to boost its second-dose round of inoculations that was threatened by a shortage when India halted exports of Covishield, the brand mostly used in African nations through the Covax initiative. The batch is the first bilateral vaccine donation by Denmark.

Russian Army Vaccinations (7:10 a.m. NY)

The Russian military has vaccinated over 900,000 people, including 85% of the country’s armed forces, Tass reported Tuesday, citing Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov. The military’s vaccination drive contrasts with the slow pace in the rest of Russia, where only 12% of the population has received at least one shot.

Variant Spurs France to Urge More Shots (6:38 a.m. NY)

The spread of the delta variant in Europe has prompted French authorities to urge people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, citing U.K. data that show inoculations at least help prevent serious illness.

At a briefing, officials from the health ministry said the target in France is to have 40 million first injections administered and 35 million completed vaccinations by the end of August, representing three-quarters of all adults for the first shot and two-thirds for both. Though there are signs of a slowdown in vaccinations, the ministry still forecasts an average of 4 million injections a week until the end of August.

Abu Dhabi Offers Shots for Tourists (5:37 p.m. HK)

Abu Dhabi is offering vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and China’s Sinopharm to tourists, a move that may help attract visitors from countries that have supply constraints.

The vaccines are only available for holders of a visa issued by Abu Dhabi or holders of passports eligible for visa on arrival, according to the sheikhdom’s health care provider, Seha.

Ghana Records Delta Variant (5 p.m. HK)

Ghana has recorded a “few” cases of the delta variant, Joy FM reported, citing Gordon Awendare, the head of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens. The country should tighten controls at its airports, the Accra-based radio broadcaster cited Awendare as saying.

World Bank/African Union Plan to Speed Shots (3:59 p.m. HK)

The World Bank will partner with the African Union to help accelerate coronavirus vaccinations on the continent, the Washington-based lender said. The two organizations will provide resources to the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team to allow countries to acquire and deploy vaccines to as many as 400 million people across Africa.

Italy to Ease Some Measures (3 p.m. HK)

Italy will reopen clubs and discos by early July, setting a date as soon as this week, Health Undersecretary Andrea Costa said in an interview with RTL 102.5 radio.

It will also end mandatory use of face masks in open spaces for so-called white, low-risk zones beginning June 28, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in a Twitter post late Monday. Italy, the original European epicenter of the pandemic, could soon shift almost entirely to white status. The government will continue to follow medical expert guidelines on safety, Speranza said.

Russian Businesses Tempt Vaccine Skeptics (2:52 p.m. HK)

Russian industrial giants are trying to buy their way to herd immunity. Alrosa is raffling a snowmobile and Hyundai Solaris for workers who get vaccinated, Evraz and Severstal enter them into lotteries for cash and other prizes, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel offers an extra day off, and Phosagro lets employees jump to the front of the line to qualify for all-expense paid trips to resorts.

The largess has helped boost the percentage of inoculated employees at big companies to above the national average, but shows the limits of corporate policy to overcome the government’s inability to convince people that domestically developed vaccines are safe. That failure is contributing to a new outbreak nationwide that has pushed new infections to a five-month high.

Cases Surge in South Africa Industrial Hub (2:51 p.m. HK)

Infections surged to a record in South Africa’s industrial hub of Gauteng, prompting warnings about hospital capacity and calls for tighter restrictions.

One in four South Africans lives in the province that includes Johannesburg, the country’s biggest city, and Pretoria, the capital. In the 24 hours to late Monday, 69% of South Africa’s 9,160 new infections were in Gauteng, according to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the surge is deeply worrying. “There seems to be indications that we need to increase the measures, particularly in Gauteng,” he said.

India Cases Drop to Lowest Since March (12:41 p.m. HK)

India added fewer than 50,000 new cases in the past 24 hours for the first time since March 24.

The dip is a heartening sign for the nation that is still recovering from a devastating second wave. However, less than 5% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated. Some experts are already warning of a third wave as the economy re-opens from lockdowns.

Bangladesh Locks Down Districts (11:51 a.m. HK)

Seven districts surrounding Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka have been locked down following a spike in cases, according to a government notice.

The curbs will remain in place until June 30. Bangladesh on Monday reported 4,636 new cases, the most in a day since mid-April, raising its total to 851,668. The reported death toll is 13,626.

Hanoi Allows Indoor Dining (11:01 a.m. HK)

Hair salons and indoor dining services in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi are permitted to reopen from Tuesday, the municipal government said on its website.

The easing of restrictions comes after Hanoi reported no new virus patients since June 20, according to health ministry data. The businesses must put in place social distancing practices, such as using no more than 50% of seating capacity and 20 customers at a time with required closing before 9 p.m., the government said.

Duterte Threatens to Jail Vaccines Refusers (8:40 a.m. HK)

If Philippine President Duterte threat to jail those refusing Covid-19 vaccines is implemented it could be among the most severe measures to boost inoculations in a nation where majority are unsure of or reject vaccines.

“If you’re a person who’s not vaccinated and a potential carrier, to protect the people, I have to sequester you in jail,” Duterte said late Monday. Village leaders should keep a list of those who refused to be vaccinated, he said. Indonesia earlier this year moved to punish those who refuse shots with fines or delayed aid.

Singapore Tests More to Ringfence Cluster (8:22 a.m. HK)

Singaporean authorities found 13 new coronavirus cases locally, as the government widened mandatory testing in a large neighborhood outside the city center where a cluster has been expanding since mid-June.

Singapore has been pursuing a strategy of ringfencing clusters with aggressive testing as the authorities remain cautious over the loosening of restrictions. The government has said vaccination rates are still not high enough to warrant a faster reopening in Singapore, although it has achieved a key threshold of inoculating more than half of its population with a first dose.

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