Biden Declares U.S. “Independence” From Pandemic: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

U.S. President Joe Biden all but announced an end to the pandemic there, celebrating what he called a “heroic” vaccination campaign during the country’s Independence Day holiday. He also urged people to get their shots, saying it was the “most patriotic” thing Americans could do.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge Britons to “exercise judgment” to protect themselves from Covid-19, at a press conference on Monday, as the government prepares for the final unlocking of the economy in two weeks.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha will isolate at home for a week after he was in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. Mortality “significantly” increased in the second wave in India, according to a new study, pointing to the possibility that the delta variant, which triggered an explosive growth in local infections, may also be more deadly.

Key Developments:

Iran Sees Most New Cases Since May (6:05 a.m. NY)

Iran had the highest number of new daily coronavirus cases since May 12, with 16,025 infections and 157 deaths reported overnight. The Health Ministry has recorded over 3.2 million infections and 84,000 deaths since the onset of the pandemic, with around 2.4% of the country’s population having received both vaccine doses so far.

Leaders Urged to Prevent Pandemics (5:48 p.m. HK)

World leaders need to take personal responsibility for leading efforts to prevent a future global pandemic and manage the current Covid-19 crisis, said The Elders, a non-governmental organization made up of former state leaders and public figures.

The Elders appealed to heads of state to implement the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response by agreeing to a Political Declaration at a special summit held during the United Nations General Assembly, in September. They should personally commit to establishing a Global Health Threats Council, which could coordinate international preparedness efforts and avoid the mistakes made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Singapore Probes Cardiac Arrest Case (5:11 p.m. HK)

Singapore will investigate the case of a 16-year-old student who suffered from cardiac arrest to determine whether there was a link to his Covid-19 vaccination, the Ministry of Health said. The expert committee will monitor the outcome of the investigation.

S. Korea Denies Talks for mRNA Doses (4:03 p.m. HK)

South Korea denied a report that it’s in talks with mRNA vaccine makers, including Moderna and Pfizer, to make as many as 1 billion doses in the country. Earlier, Reuters reported that talks were underway, citing an interview with Lee Kang-ho, the director general for the global vaccine hub committee under South Korea’s health ministry. The Health Ministry said in a statement that any vaccine deal is an issue pending negotiation between companies, and that Lee said in the interview that South Korea has capacity to produce more than 1 billion doses of mRNA shots.

Thai Prime Minister to Isolate at Home (4 p.m. HK)

Prayuth Chan-Ocha will isolate at home for a week after he was exposed to a person who tested positive for coronavirus during reopening events in Phuket province on July 1. The premier, who has received two AstraZeneca vaccine doses, will continue his work as usual, including closely following the coronavirus outbreak situation, according to Anucha Burapachaisri, a government spokesman.

Israel Sees Drop in Pfizer Shot Efficacy (3:59 p.m. HK)

Israel has recorded a steep drop in the efficacy rate of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing coronavirus infections, due to the spread of the delta variant and the easing of government restrictions, Ynet news website reported, citing Health Ministry data. At the same time, the decline in protection against serious cases and hospitalization is considerably milder, the website said.

The figures show that between May 2 and June 5, the vaccine had a 94.3% efficacy rate. From June 6, five days after the government canceled coronavirus restrictions, until early July, the rate plunged to 64%. A similar decline was recorded in protection against coronavirus symptoms, the report said.

India’s Delta Virus Wave Saw More Deaths (3 p.m. HK)

Mortality “significantly” increased in the recent Covid-19 wave in India, according to a new study, pointing to the possibility that the delta variant may also be more deadly. The higher incidence of deaths was seen in all age groups except those below 20 years of age, said a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research by researchers led by Gunjan Kumar.

Tokyo Olympics Delay Ticket Lottery (2:30 p.m. HK)

Tokyo Olympic organizers have postponed the announcement of ticket lottery results by four days, awaiting a decision by the government on coronavirus measures that could affect the number of spectators allowed at venues. The government is expected to decide this week whether to extend the current strong virus measures beyond July 11, when they are due to expire.

Sanofi’s Vaccine to Be Available in December (2 p.m. HK)

Sanofi’s Covid-19 vaccine will be available in December, Olivier Bogillot, the drugmaker’s French chief, said in an interview with France Inter on Monday. Bogillot said there’s room for another vaccine as so many people still need to get the jabs.

Indonesia to Import Oxygen Cylinders (1 p.m. HK)

Indonesia will start importing oxygen cylinders to meet surging demand from Covid-19 patients as the country battles an exponential rise in infections that overwhelms its hospitals. The government is urging those with mild symptoms to be treated at home because hospitals are full, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in a media briefing on Monday.

Ho Chi Minh City Urged to Step Up Fight (10 a.m. HK)

Vietnam’s Prime Minster Pham Minh Chinh ordered Ho Chi Minh City and adjacent provinces to take more effective actions to slow infections, warning the nation’s commercial hub could see virus infections grow to uncontrollable levels.

Ho Chi Minh City, which extended social distancing measures indefinitely June 29, is now the nation’s worst virus-hit region with 6,206 local infections as of Monday morning since the latest outbreak began in late April.

Sydney Outbreak May Extend Lockdown (9:40 a.m. HK)

Sydney’s outbreak of the delta-variant of the coronavirus is raising concern Australia’s most-populous city may need to extend its two-week lockdown beyond Friday. The city of about 6 million people recorded 35 new cases in the community on Monday, raising the total infections since mid-June to 312.

Biden Hails Success in Beating Pandemic (8:30 a.m. HK)

A triumphant President Joe Biden all but announced an end to the pandemic in the U.S. on Sunday, celebrating what he called a “heroic” vaccination campaign on the country’s Independence Day holiday.

Speaking at a party on the White House’s South Lawn, Biden declared that the U.S. had achieved “independence” from the coronavirus. “It no longer controls our lives, it no longer paralyzes our nation and it’s within our power to make sure it never does so again,” he said, appealing for Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get their shots.

Johnson to Tell Britons to Use Judgment (5:30 p.m. NY)

U.k. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use a press conference on Monday to set out the final stage of his roadmap out of lockdown for England ahead of a formal announcement next week, according to his office.

The government is now stressing the importance of people taking personal responsibility for their safety rather than the authorities imposing legal restrictions. Ministers have noted that deaths and serious illness from the coronavirus remain at low levels despite a recent surge in infections.

On July 4, the U.K. reported 24,248 more Covid-19 cases and 15 more deaths.

Corporate Travel Shows Signs of Recovery (4:46 p.m. NY)

Hotels, airlines and travel companies are reporting an increase in corporate bookings during recent weeks, led by domestic markets where travel is easy, the Financial Times reported.

Bookings from financial and professional services companies are returning strongly, but small and medium-sized companies are driving thhe increase because they can make decisions faster, Paul Abbott, chief executive of American Express Global Business Travel, told the newspaper.

The recovery has been fastest in the U.S., while international travel in Europe is more muted, the FT said.

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