CDC Sees ‘Pivotal Moment’; Indonesia New Epicenter: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. is “at another pivotal moment in this pandemic,” with Covid-19 cases once again climbing and beds at some hospitals filling up, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said. The recent rise in cases shows no signs of abating in the U.S. states that have fueled the uptick as the delta variant proliferates.

Indonesia has become a new epicenter for the pandemic after a recent streak of 50,000 infections a day, with more than 1,000 virus fatalities every day in the world’s fourth-most populous country. The Tokyo Summer Olympics are starting with events held without spectators for the first time in history as coronavirus cases surge throughout Asia.

Italy will restrict many leisure activities, including dining indoors, for citizens who aren’t vaccinated against Covid-19 or haven’t recently tested negative for the virus. In the U.K., vaccine certificates could be required at business conferences, music festivals and sports events in England from September.

Key Developments:

South Korea to Extend Seoul Restrictions (8:00 a.m. HK)

South Korea will extend current social distancing steps that ban gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. in the greater Seoul area for another two weeks, as the number of coronavirus cases continue to surge. The nation reported a record 1,842 new virus cases on Thursday.

L.A. Says More Fully Vaccinated People Infected (6:40 a.m. HK)

Los Angeles County’s top health official said fully vaccinated people made up 20% of cases in June, up from 11% in May, and warned the figure may rise in July with a higher level of community transmission.

“We had a significant increase in the number of people who were fully vaccinated and tested positive,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, though she pointed out that the majority of these cases had no symptoms or had just very mild illness. “The numbers can go up again in July, until we get the community transmission back in control.”

The data came a week after the county of 10 million announced plans to reimpose its indoor mask order, which began Sunday, as cases jumped with the highly-contagious delta variant. The number of infections surged to 2,767 Thursday, she said, an 80% increase from the previous week.

Texas Cases Surge as ICU Beds Dwindle (5:14 p.m. NY)

Texas virus cases soared 77% in a 24-hour period to the highest daily tally since before Governor Greg Abbott lifted a mask mandate and other anti-pandemic restrictions more than four months ago.

The state registered 6,417 new cases, the biggest increase since March 2, according to health department figures. Hospitalizations have been steadily rising for almost three straight weeks and have more than doubled so far this month to almost 4,000, a level not since since mid-March.

In the state’s worst-affected zone -- a rural collection of six counties north of the state capital of Austin -- there are just two intensive-case beds available for a population of 490,000 people.

Bay Area Counties Urge Vaccine Requirement (4:34 p.m. NY)

San Francisco and two other counties in the Bay Area -- Contra Costa and Santa Clara, home to many Silicon Valley tech companies -- are encouraging employers to consider requiring vaccinations for workers. Health officers for the counties said the rapid spread of the delta variant has led to significantly higher case rates and risk of transmission at jobs.

“Workers who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 pose a substantial health and financial risk to the workplace,” Chris Farnitano, health officer of Contra Costa County, said in a statement Thursday. While the health officers said they “strongly urge” employers to consider requirements, it isn’t a mandate. Last week, the counties and others in the region said they were encouraging indoor mask use among all individuals to slow the virus’s spread.

Italy Requires Vaccine Pass for Leisure (2:50 p.m. NY)

Italy will restrict many leisure activities for citizens who aren’t vaccinated against Covid-19 or haven’t recently tested negative for the virus, amid a surge of delta variant infections.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet decided on Thursday that a so-called green pass will be required to dine indoors or to enter crowded venues such as theaters, stadiums, cinemas, gyms or museums. The passes are currently given to people who have received one shot, have recovered from Covid-19 or have tested negative in the last 48 hours.

“The use of vaccine certificates is needed to keep the economy open,” Draghi said at a press conference. “An invitation not to get vaccinated is an invitation to die, or to let others die. No vaccines mean a new lockdown.”

France Cases Up 133% in Week (2:30 p.m. NY)

France reported 21,909 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in 24 hours Thursday. On average, the number of positive cases is up by 133% in a week.

U.S. Case Uptick Not Abating (2:07 p.m. NY)

The recent rise in Covid-19 cases shows no signs of abating in the U.S. states that have fueled the uptick as the delta variant proliferates.

Nationally, cases are likely to rise to 306,909 for the week ending Aug. 14, up 39% from last week, according to an ensemble of forecasts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Surges are expected in some states where case rates are among the worst. Florida rates are seen climbing to 62,744 cases per week, more than half the state’s winter peak. The trend looks similar in Missouri, where the governor this week announced a new vaccine incentive program.

J&J Shot Benefits Outweigh Risk: CDC (1:30 p.m. NY)

The benefits of the J&J Covid vaccine outweigh its risks after reports of a rare immune-system disorder, according to data presented during an advisory meeting scheduled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, discussed Covid-19 vaccine safety, including the possible risks from Guillain-Barré Syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves.

As was previously reported, of the 100 reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome among people who had received the shot, 95 of the cases required hospitalization, 10 of which were incubated and/or required mechanical ventilation. One person died: A 57-year-old man with past medical history of heart failure, stroke, hypertension and diabetes. The cases were seen mostly in men over the age of 50.

CDC Chief Says U.S. at ‘Another Pivotal Moment’ (12:12 p.m. NY)

The U.S. is “at another pivotal moment in this pandemic,” with Covid-19 cases once again climbing and beds at some hospitals filling up, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said at a Thursday briefing. Daily hospital admissions have risen by more than 30% over the last week, she said.

The availability of highly effective Covid-19 vaccines has made the U.S. safer, but some communities remain vulnerable due to low vaccination rates and the highly-contagious delta variant. At the Thursday briefing, Walensky and other Biden administration officials urged Americans to get vaccinated.

U.S. Case Average Highest Since May (11:49 a.m. NY)

The seven-day average of confirmed Covid-19 infections in the U.S. topped 40,000 on Wednesday for the first time since early May, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg show. The death toll is averaging at 250 a day.

Both figures are a fraction of the levels reported in January but cases, on average, have more than tripled since the beginning of the month, underscoring how infections are swelling as the delta variant spreads and vaccination rates drop.

“We have a pandemic for those who haven’t gotten the vaccination,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday night during a CNN town hall in Cincinnati. “If you’re vaccinated,” he added, “you’re not going to die.”

Portugal Expands Restrictions (11:20 a.m. NY)

Portugal will apply restrictions including a nighttime curfew to more municipalities in an attempt to contain an increase in infections.

The limit to movement in public spaces between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. in regions including Lisbon will now be imposed in 116 municipalities, up from 90 previously, Presidency Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said on Thursday.

Portugal began facing a renewed surge in June around Lisbon, where the delta variant had a high incidence, and had to halt a plan to continue gradually easing confinement measures across the country. It has also accelerated its vaccination campaign.

U.K. Floats Vaccine ID Plan (7:34 a.m NY)

Vaccine certificates in England could be required at business conferences, music festivals and sports events from September.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi set out a list of venues where proof of double vaccination could become mandatory, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson first announced the move on Monday in a bid to get more young people inoculated.

Meanwhile, Johnson risks a boycott of his own Conservative Party conference by lockdown-skeptic members if he goes ahead with plans to force large venues to demand so-called vaccine passports on entry.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.