Global Infections Accelerate; Tokyo Cases Jump: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

Covid infections globally increased the most in two months amid the spread of the delta variant, a surge across the U.S. and low vaccination levels in most Southeast Asian nations.

About 3.73 million people were infected around the world in the week ended July 25, led primarily by six countries -- the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, U.K., India and Spain -- according to data compiled by Bloomberg and Johns Hopkins University. The number of cases in the U.S. surged by 62% over the previous week. However, fatalities have stayed relatively low in the U.S., U.K. and Spain due to high vaccine coverage, while deaths are soaring in India, Brazil and Indonesia.

Infections in Tokyo almost doubled from a week ago, according to city data released Monday. Meanwhile, Olympics organizers reported 16 more cases, including three among athletes, on the fourth day of the spectator-free games.

Key Developments:

Tokyo Cases Almost Double in Week (4:14 p.m. HK)

Tokyo reported 1,429 new coronavirus cases Monday, nearly doubling from 727 cases a week earlier, amid the fourth day of the Olympics. The cases were a record for a Monday, setting the stage for potentially renewing a daily record of 2,520 for any day logged in January.

Singapore Eyes Opening Border (4:17 p.m. HK)

Singapore expects to vaccinate about 80% of population with two doses by around early September, and aims to cover a similar proportion of people aged 70 and above, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told Parliament on Monday. The city state will then be able to begin reopening borders, especially for vaccinated persons to travel.

Ireland Restarts Indoor Dining (2:45 p.m. HK)

Ireland is restarting indoor dining after nearly seven months on Monday, with some bars without outdoor space opening for the first time since March 2020. Only people who have been fully vaccinated or had Covid-19 in the past six months will be allowed to eat inside, along with accompanied minors. The reopening comes amid a surge in cases due to the delta variant. While hospitalizations have increased in recent days they remain far below the previous peak in January.

Pakistan Cases at Two-Month High (2:40 p.m. HK)

Pakistan’s new infections rose to 3,752 in the past 24 hours, the highest in over two months, according to data released Monday. The southern Sindh province, which includes Karachi, increased restrictions such as closure of schools, wedding halls, dining out and indoor gyms.

South Africa Eases Lockdown (2:23 p.m. HK)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a new relief package to help businesses and individuals recover from a week of deadly riots and coronavirus curbs, as he eased lockdown restrictions amid slowing infections.

The measures include reinstating a monthly welfare grant of 350 rand ($24) for the poor until the end of March, a 400 million-rand state contribution to a humanitarian relief fund and support for uninsured businesses, Ramaphosa said Sunday in a televised speech. The government will also expand an employment tax incentive, and give companies an additional three months to pay taxes collected from their workers.

Indonesia’s Study on Vaccination (1:15 p.m. HK)

Indonesia’s capital is seeing a lower prevalence of deaths due to Covid-19 among the vaccinated, an encouraging sign as the country battles Asia’s worst outbreak by stepping up testing and inoculation. Four people died among the 1.9 million fully vaccinated people observed in the study conducted in Jakarta, while 1,896 were infected -- called breakthrough infections, according to data from the provincial government. That puts the case fatality rate at 0.21%, compared with 1.7% for those who haven’t been vaccinated.

Ryanair’s Optimistic Forecast (1:10 p.m. HK)

Ryanair Holdings Plc said it aims to halt losses this fiscal year as the easing of coronavirus curbs spurs a surge in summer flights to European beaches. The region’s biggest discount carrier should break even or post a small loss for the 12 months ending next March, assuming vaccine rollouts remain capable of containing the pandemic, it said in a statement Monday.

Olympics Has 16 More Cases (12:15 p.m. HK)

Japanese Olympics organizers reported 16 more coronavirus cases, including three infections among athletes, as the spectator-free Tokyo games continued under tight restrictions. Those who tested positive included contractors and employees of Tokyo 2020, according to a statement on the organizer’s website, as well as eight others connected to the Games whose exact roles weren’t made clear. Six of the total are residents of Japan, though the statement didn’t identify the nationalities of the athletes or the events they were scheduled to compete in.

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India Reports 416 More deaths (11:51 a.m. HK)

India added 39,361 Covid-19 cases Monday, taking the numbers up to 31.4 million. Covid-related deaths rose by 416 in a day to 420,967, as per latest data by the Indian health ministry. India has administered 435.2 million vaccine doses with only about 7% of the population fully inoculated, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. A survey by online platform LocalCircles found that about 28% Indians are planning to travel in August-September, stoking the risk for a new wave of infections, a local media report said.

Sydney Numbers Rise (9:46 a.m. HK)

Sydney’s daily cases climbed and are expected to keep rising after thousands took to the streets over the weekend in defiance of the lockdown restrictions sweeping parts of Australia.

The city of almost 6 million people recorded 145 new cases Monday, up by a handful from the day before, with half of the people active in the community while infectious. There have been 2,226 cases since the latest outbreak began in mid-June, fueled by the contagious delta variant.

Taiwan Vaccine Mixing (9:33 a.m. HK)

Taiwan will allow people to take combinations of two different vaccines, health minister Chen Shih-chung said at a briefing Sunday. The government decided to allow the public to take one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine with a second dose of an mRNA vaccine after examining international data and cases. Chen did not say when the first mixed inoculations would start. Currently, Moderna is the only mRNA vaccine available in Taiwan, with 15 million doses of the BioNTech vaccine scheduled to start arriving from September.

Jiangsu Cluster Swells (8:50 a.m. HK)

China added 39 local confirmed cases in eastern province of Jiangsu and one infection in Liaoning province on July 25, according to a statement from National Health Commission. There were also four new local asymptomatic cases reported Sunday; provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangdong and Sichuan each had one.

Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, reported 38 local confirmed cases for Sunday, the city’s health committee said, adding eight of them were asymptomatic cases earlier. The cases were either employees of the local airport or those who had been in close contact, Chinese media reported, citing a local government official.

Indonesia to Extend Restrictions (8:40 a.m. HK)

Indonesia is extending its mobility curbs for another week until Aug. 2 as cases remain high even after about a month of restrictions. Adjustments are being made to allow small businesses to operate under strict health protocols, President Joko Widodo said. Traditional markets selling staple foods will open as normal, while shops selling non-food items and other small merchants are allowed to operate at half capacity and shorter trading hours. Dine-in can resume at food stalls and restaurants in outdoor areas under very strict protocols.

Thailand Reports Record Infections (8:39 a.m. HK)

Thailand reported 15,376 new infections on Monday, the highest single-day increase since the pandemic began. That took the nation’s cumulative cases to 512,678, according to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The country also reported 87 fatalities and 6,782 recoveries on Monday.

South Korea Vaccinates a Third of Its Population (8:32 a.m. HK)

South Korea said 32.9% of its population have had the first round of vaccine. The country has given 6.86 million doses and 13.4% of its people are fully vaccinated. South Korea added 1,318 new cases.

The country will expand social distancing measures outside the capital Seoul from Monday and ban gatherings of more than five people. Seoul is already subject to strict curbs.

Vietnam Adds 2,704 New Cases (8:01 a.m. HK)

Vietnam reported 2,704 new local cases, with 1,714 coming from Ho Chi Minh City. That’s taken the total infections in the country to more than 100,000, the government reported Monday morning.

Ho Chi Minh City officials are imposing a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew beginning Monday to contain a fast-spreading outbreak, news website VnExpress reported earlier, citing Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong.

All activities in Vietnam’s business hub will be suspended during the curfew, except for emergency and epidemic coordination activities, according to the report.

The government said it’s working to lock up deals for as many as 170 million Covid-19 vaccine doses by year-end. Vietnam has secured 130 million doses and is trying to negotiate for an additional 40 million shots, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said in a speech to the National Assembly on Sunday.

Japan’s Shionogi Trials Once-a-Day Pill (5:53 p.m. HK)

Osaka-based Shionogi & Co. started a Japanese Phase 1 clinical trial of an orally administered antiviral drug for Covid-19. The first dose was administered successfully on July 22 and no safety concerns have been identified so far. This is just the start of clinical trials and lots of such drugs eventually fail to make the cut.

U.K. Cases Drop for Fifth Day (7 a.m. HK)

The U.K. reported a drop in new coronavirus cases for a fifth consecutive day, a potential boost for Prime Minister Johnson after a chaotic week since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

A total of 29,173 new infections were recorded on Sunday, down from 31,795 on Saturday, according to data from Public Health England. New cases were in excess of 50,000 on July 17, but have since been on a downward trend, the data shows.

Yet data in the coming days and weeks will be crucial: Venues such as nightclubs were allowed to re-open on July 19, and any potential impact of this re-opening could yet push up infections. Health Secretary Sajid Javid has previously warned that new cases could peak at 100,000 per day.

Separately, the U.K. may drop quarantine requirements on travel from France next week, The Times reported.

Ghana Imposes Curbs Amid Delta Wave (5:55 a.m. HK)

Ghana is restricting the length of events such as weddings and funerals to two hours and has banned post-event receptions due to the risk of people abandoning safety protocols including mask-wearing and social distancing.

“It appears that our nation like many others is experiencing a third wave of Covid-19 infections,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a state broadcast late Sunday. Ghana has reported more than 102,000 Covid-19 cases, including 823 deaths, since the first case was reported.

Brazil Adds 18,129 Cases (5:45 a.m. HK)

Brazil reported 18,129 new infections over the past 24 hours, pushing its total to almost 19.7 million, according to data from the Health Ministry. Deaths rose by 476 to 549,924, the world’s highest number of fatalities after the U.S.

U.S. Vaccinations Edge Higher (3:40 p.m. NY)

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said about 790,000 doses were administered in the past 24 hours, the most since earlier this month.

U.S. Covid vaccinations have been trending upward for almost a week, after hitting their lowest level since the start of the year. The daily average has risen six days in a row from a low of 498,000 on July 19, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. That compares with a daily average peak of more than 3.3 million in mid-April.

Protests Emerge Globally Against Covid Rules (1:45 p.m. NY)

More than 100 people gathered outside the Iowa state Capitol Saturday to protest against vaccination rules including those issued by some hospitals in the state, the Associated Press said.

In France, more than 160,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday to oppose the government’s Covid-19 health pass policy, the New York Times reported. Tear gas was used after clashes with police in Paris, it added.

Protests also emerged in cities across Italy where thousands rallied against the government’s requirement for a so-called green pass next month for a number of venues.

Tear gas was also deployed in Tunisia, where violent rallies broke out Sunday as protesters defied Covid curbs to demonstrate in a number of cities over the economy and the outbreak, the AP said.

Hundreds of Children Die in Indonesia (1:30 p.m. NY)

Hundreds of children -- many under age five -- have died in Indonesia from Covid in recent weeks, a mortality rate that’s higher any other country, the New York Times reported, citing doctors.

The children’s deaths challenges the notion that they face a far lower risk than adults, the paper said. The surge in child deaths corresponds with the spread of the delta variant, the paper said, and the outbreak now makes Indonesia the new epicenter of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Indonesia will be extending its tightest mobility curbs for another week until Aug. 2 as cases remain high following near month-long restrictions. Traditional markets selling staple foods will open as normal, while shops selling non-food items and small businesses are allowed to operate at half capacity for shorter trading hours.

Fauci Says U.S. Moving in ‘Wrong Direction’ (9:47 a.m. NY)

The U.S. is moving in the “wrong direction” in combating a new wave of Covid-19, and a booster vaccine shot may be needed especially for the most vulnerable, said Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

It’s a problem that half of the country is still not fully vaccinated, he said. Based on the modeling of data, the U.S. faces a worst-case scenario of daily deaths reaching the winter peak of 4,000.

“I’m not sure if it would be the worst-case scenario but it’s not going to be good,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We’re going in the wrong direction.”

BioNTech Sees Enough Immunity (8:52 a.m. NY)

Immunity provided by the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE may drop but most recipients will remain protected against severe Covid-19 illness and may not need a third shot, Dow Jones reported, citing BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.

German Politicians Float Bans for Un-vaccinated (7:19 a.m. NY)

Some of Germany’s most senior politicians have floated the possibility of tough restrictions for un-vaccinated people, or even compulsory inoculation, echoing similar sentiment throughout Europe as the delta variant spreads in the region.

The unvaccinated would have to curb contact in the event of a high level of infections in Germany and would be banned from “restaurants, movie theaters and stadiums,” Helge Braun, chief of staff in Angela Merkel’s chancellery, told Bild am Sonntag on Sunday. Those restrictions may be imposed regardless of tests, he added.

U.K. Health Minister Apologizes for Tweet (6:50 a.m. NY)

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has apologized and deleted a tweet where he used the word “cower,” adding that it was a “poor choice of word.”

In an earlier tweet, where he said he had made a full recovery from Covid, Javid urged people to get vaccinated, saying “as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus.” Opposition politicians seized on the remark. In his latest tweet Javid said that “like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus.”

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