U.K. Expands ‘Green’ List, Germany Urges Caution: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. added Spain’s Balearic islands and Malta to its quarantine-free “green” travel list and said rules will be relaxed later to more destinations for people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus. German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged residents to remain cautious and get fully vaccinated even as they enjoy a summer of travel and relative freedom.

Russia’s biggest business lobby called on the government to make vaccination mandatory for all healthy adults. More than a half-million Sydney residents will go into lockdown as Australia races to control an outbreak of the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus.

President Joe Biden warned of the risks posed by the delta strain as he prodded Americans to get vaccinated amid a decline in the pace of inoculations. India hit a single-day record this week with more than 8 million Covid-19 vaccinations.

Key Developments:

Russian Business Lobby Wants Mandatory Vaccination (8 a.m. NY)

Russia’s biggest business lobby issued a joint statement with the country’s biggest union calling on the government to make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for all healthy adults.

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia said Friday the measure was needed to restore the economy to its pre-pandemic level.

Russia’s top public-health official, Anna Popova, said earlier Friday 18 regions have made vaccines mandatory for some classes of workers.

Denmark Upholds Decision to Suspend Astra, J&J Vaccine (7:20 a.m. NY)

Denmark won’t reinstate vaccines from Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca in its national inoculation program after reviewing an initial decision to suspend the two, the Danish Health Authority says in a statement. Denmark suspended the vaccines from its general program over blood clot concerns

Iceland to End Restrictions (7:13 a.m. NY)

Iceland said it will end all domestic disease prevention measures on Saturday, including gathering limitations, mask obligations and social distancing. There will still be measures on the borders.

Thai Covid Panel Skips Bangkok Lockdown, Limits Labor Camps (7:05 a.m. NY)

Thailand’s national Covid-19 panel announced a one-month clampdown on movements from all residential camps for construction and factory workers in metropolitan Bangkok and four other provinces, as infections continue to climb and medical facilities reach capacity.

Thailand reported an additional 3,644 infections and 44 deaths on Friday, taking the cumulative caseload to 236,291 and fatalities to 1,819. Meanwhile, the country’s drug regulator cleared Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for local use, the sixth shot approved in the country.

Africa Could Produce Covid-19 mRNA Vaccines Within 15 Months (6:55 a.m. NY)

A facility in Cape Town could produce Africa’s first vaccines using messenger RNA, the breakthrough science of the global inoculation effort against Covid-19, within 15 months of signing a technology transfer agreement.

The World Health Organization this week announced it will establish its first-ever mRNA technology transfer hub in the city in an agreement with Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines Ltd. and the Biovac Institute. The global health body is in talks with potential partners who would work with the South African companies to produce the vaccines to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in the world’s least-vaccinated continent.

“The target given to us, which is quite ambitious, is 12 months to put the first candidate into clinical trials from the day of technology transfer signing,” and those trials could take about three months, said Petro Terblanche, the managing director of Afrigen, in an interview on Friday. “That’s only possible if the technology partner is one of the big gorillas” and will take a bit longer if it’s a small company, she said.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Gets First Vaccine (5:39 p.m. HK)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei received his first dose of the COVIran Barakat vaccine on Friday, according to a statement published on his official website.

Iranian authorities had earlier granted emergency authorization for use of the vaccine, which is domestically produced and underwent clinical trials in March.

So far, over 1.1 million Iranians have been fully vaccinated out of a population of around 85 million, according to the Health Ministry. The country has recorded over 3.1 million coronavirus cases and 83,000 deaths since the onset of the pandemic.

Germany Urges Summer of Caution Due to Delta Variant (4:05 p.m. HK)

German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged residents to remain cautious and get fully vaccinated even as they enjoy a summer of travel and relative freedom, in order to avoid another wave of the pandemic in the fall due to the delta variant.

“A too-carefree summer can’t be allowed to become an autumn full of worries,” Spahn said at a press conference on Friday, urging people to wear masks on vacation and get tested multiple times upon their return. The country must reckon with rising case rates as the delta variant spreads, said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute.

Well over half the population could be fully vaccinated with four to six weeks, Spahn said. Young people age 12 to 18 years old who want a vaccine will be able to get their first shot by the end of August, he said.

South Africa Expands Vaccine Rollout as Virus Cases Surge (4:04 p.m. HK)

South Africa is expanding its coronavirus-inoculation program as the pace of vaccine deliveries accelerates, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said.

A South African political party was set to lead a march Friday in Pretoria, demanding that the national health-products regulator immediately approve Covid-19 vaccines from Russia and China.

The march led by the Economic Freedom Fighters, which has been criticized because it comes at the height of a third wave of infections, will make its way to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority office. The agency says it’s evaluating the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines from China and the Sputnik V shot from Russia.

Singapore Vaccination Race Speeds Up as Covid Infections Linger (4:03 p.m. HK)

Singapore found 15 new local coronavirus cases on Friday, hovering in the same range with this week’s daily tally, as the government readies to speed up its national vaccination program. Starting tomorrow, the city-state will be able to administer as many as 80,000 doses per day, up from 47,000 currently.

Malaysia to Employ Helicopters, Drones to Track Covid Compliance (3:40 p.m. HK)

Malaysia will intensify roadblock exercises as the government steps up efforts to enforce compliance with Covid protocols during the ongoing lockdown, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said on Friday.

The government expects some companies will receive approval to bring in private vaccines from China by August, according to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Those who wish to expedite their vaccination may purchase jabs through this private market, said Khairy in a briefing Thursday.

U.K. Adds Balearics, Malta to Quarantine-Free Travel List (3:35 p.m. HK)

The U.K. added Spain’s Balearic islands and Malta onto its quarantine-free “green” travel list, and said rules will be relaxed later for more destinations for people who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

Airline shares gained after the announcement, which will boost the country’s ailing travel industry ahead of the school holidays that begin next month. Bermuda, Madeira, and a number of Caribbean destinations were also added to the list.

Separately, Health Secretary Matt Hancock apologized for breaching pandemic rules after being pictured embracing a senior aide who he appointed to his team, but he said he is not resigning from the U.K. government.

Indonesia Eases Vaccination Rules (1:43 p.m. HK)

Amid a worsening virus wave, Indonesia is letting all adults get vaccinated and using bars, schools and places of worship as vaccination posts, while scrapping the requirement for people to prove they live in the cities and provinces where they’re getting their shots. President Joko Widodo has set a goal of 1 million doses a day starting in July, from about 700,000 currently.

With Covid bed occupancy exceeding 90%, Jakarta is converting hospitals to focus on the pandemic while turning away those with light symptoms. Emergency response units in the city will be turned into isolation rooms for patients with lighter symptoms, while urgent care will be moved to tents outside the hospitals. On Wednesday, the capital recorded its highest demand for burial services since the pandemic began.

Abu Dhabi Says Won’t Vaccinate Tourists (1:22 p.m. HK)

The capital of the United Arab Emirates said it isn’t offering coronavirus vaccines to tourists. The Abu Dhabi media office said in a tweet the emirate is offering free vaccines only to those with valid or expired residency visas, excluding holders of tourist or visitor visas.

Vietnam to Vaccinate Chinese ‘Soon’ After Complaints (1:21 p.m. HK)

Vietnam is revamping the way it distributes vaccines donated by Beijing after China complained it was failing to honor an earlier agreement. China’s embassy in Hanoi said Friday that Vietnam agreed to give Chinese nationals coronavirus vaccines it donated “as soon as possible.”

Separately, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh aims to have a domestic Covid-19 vaccine produced by June 2022 at the latest as the government ramps up its nationwide vaccination program, according to a post on the government website.

The health ministry is helping local companies in talks with Russia about a technology transfer to help Vietnam produce the Sputnik V vaccine, the post said. The World Health Organization has pledged to send experts to Vietnam to aid with vaccine production, according to a separate post on the government website citing WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Women Bore Covid Child-Care Burden: Study (12:09 p.m. HK)

Child-care demands at home skyrocketed during the pandemic, but men and women did not split the burden equally, according to a study released Friday by the Center for Global Development. Globally, women took on 173 additional hours of unpaid child care last year, compared to 59 additional hours for men, the poverty non-profit said. The gap widened in low- and middle-income countries, where women cared for children for more than three times as many hours as men did.

The study used figures from Unesco and the OECD to measure the number of children home from school and the average time men and women in various countries spent on unpaid childcare before the pandemic. In India, where school closures added 176 billion hours of child care, the study estimated women took on more than 10 times the burden men did.

Hong Kong Sees First Local Case Since June 7 (10:59 a.m. HK)

Hong Kong’s government is investigating a local Covid case from an unknown source, a Department of Health official said Thursday. The case carried delta variant, the government confirmed on Friday.

The 27-year-old man worked as an airline ground crew staff member at Hong Kong International Airport, but had no recent travel history, according to the official.

Hong Kong also will tighten quarantine requirements for U.K. arrivals starting June 28, according to a government statement Thursday. The city will raise the U.K.’s Covid risk designation to “very high” from “high,” which means arrivals will be subject to a 21-day quarantine at designated hotels, regardless of their vaccination status.

Japan to Donate Vaccines to Taiwan, Southeast Asia (10:39 a.m. HK)

Japan will provide 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine to each of Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia from July 1, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. Taiwan and Vietnam, which already have received some shots from Japan, will each receive an additional 1 million doses, Motegi said.

Separately, Emperor Naruhito may have concerns the Olympics could cause coronavirus infections to rise, Kyodo News reported. The agency cited Yasuhiko Nishimura, head of the Imperial Household Agency, as telling reporters Thursday he believes the emperor is worried about whether next month’s Olympics could lead to an increase in Covid infections, given concerns voiced by the public.

Naruhito didn’t directly speak of the concerns, the Asahi newspaper quoted Nishimura as saying. Plans are being considered to have Naruhito speak at the opening ceremony, Kyodo said.

Sydney Areas to Lockdown Amid Delta Outbreak (9:27 a.m. HK)

More than 500,000 Sydney residents will go into lockdown for at least a week as Australia races to control an outbreak of the delta variant. People who live or work in four of Sydney’s most populous areas, including the Central Business District, will be allowed to leave home only for four specified essential reasons, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters Friday.

Berejiklian previously had barred about 1 million of Sydney’s 6 million population from leaving the city. The new steps come as the outbreak has climbed to 65 cases, with 22 new locally acquired cases recorded since the previous day.

Myanmar Reports Most Cases Since Coup (8:39 a.m. HK)

Myanmar reported 787 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the highest daily spike since the country’s February coup, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. The government has imposed a stay-at-home order in nine townships across the country so far, restricting movement of over 1.23 million people, with the country’s total caseload at more than 150,000 cases.

Chile Extends State of Catastrophe (8:14 a.m. HK)

Chile’s senate approved a measure extending the country’s state of catastrophe to Sept. 30, following approval from parliament’s lower house, effective from July 1. The step gives the government the ability to close borders and impose quarantines and curfews to fight Covid.

U.K. Doesn’t Know if Rapid Tests Being Used: Watchdog (7:48 a.m. HK)

The U.K. spent billions of pounds on rapid Covid-19 test kits but has no idea if most of them are being used, according to the National Audit Office. A total of 691 million tests had been sent to homes, workplaces, schools and care settings across England as of May 26, but results from only 14% were reported, the country’s spending watchdog said Friday.

The government, which spent 3 billion pounds ($4.2 billion) buying about one billion rapid test kits through March, doesn’t know how many of the unregistered tests were used, it added. The findings are likely to fuel further criticism of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, which has touted the importance of mass testing as crucial to a full reopening.

Biden Warns of Deadly Variant (7 a.m. HK)

President Joe Biden warned of the risks posed by a highly transmissible and potentially deadlier coronavirus variant as he prodded Americans to get vaccinated amid a decline in the pace of inoculations.

“This new dangerous variant continues to emerge,” Biden said in Raleigh, North Carolina, as he warned of the delta variant, first observed in India. “It’s now the most common variant in America. Unvaccinated people are incredibly vulnerable.”

Biden spoke Thursday as part of his administration’s effort to re-ignite a U.S. vaccination campaign that is slowing to a crawl. The White House conceded this week that it missed a pair of upcoming goals – for 70% of U.S. adults to have at least one shot and for 160 million people to be fully vaccinated, by July 4. Both measures are on pace to hit a few weeks late.

Roche Gets FDA Authorization for Actemra (6:57 a.m. HK)

Roche’s Actemra received an emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Covid-19 in some hospitalized patients.

Actemra may be effective for patients who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, according to an FDA letter.

Two Kids Test Positive on Royal Caribbean Cruise (5:30 a.m. HK)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said two unvaccinated children on the Adventure of the Seas turned up positive for Covid-19 following routine testing that’s required before returning home.

Both are under age 16 and were immediately quarantined, the cruise operator said Thursday on its website. One was asymptomatic and the other had mild symptoms, the company said.

India’s Record Vaccinations May Not Stop New Wave (5 a.m. HK)

India this week hit a single-day record by administering more than 8 million Covid-19 vaccinations -- but even this unprecedented pace may not be fast enough for a country just emerging from a devastating second wave to head off a third one, experts say.

They also question whether this week’s push averaging about 4.6 million doses a day, up from about 3 million for most of the past month, can be sustained.

Despite halting all vaccine exports in April and benefiting from a huge vaccine-production industry, India has covered only 4% of its population, putting it far behind most of the West and China, which is deploying about 20 million doses a day. At this rate, some scientists say a third wave could arrive within months, driving fears the country may see a repeat of the recent nightmare of oxygen shortages and overwhelmed hospitals.

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