Germany Mulls Ban; U.K. Health Secretary Sorry: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

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

In the U.K., taxpayers will be paying an “eye-watering” price for the coronavirus long after the pandemic is over, according to a pair of reports released Sunday by a bipartisan panel of MPs. Separately, Health Secretary Sajid Javid apologized for suggesting it was time to stop cowering from the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Tokyo Olympics confirmed 10 new coronavirus infections linked to the Games, including two athletes. It brings the total to 132 cases, of which 13 are athletes and more than 100 are contractors and staff. The Games has also had its first post-event positive Covid test, Kyodo reported, while the Spanish Olympic committee said U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm has had a positive test and won’t now compete.

Key Developments:

German Politicians Float Bans for Unvaccinated (7:19 a.m. NY)

Some of Germany’s most senior politicians have floated the possibility of tough restrictions for unvaccinated 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 has 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 and would never minimise its impact.”

Vietnam Looks to Acquire 170 Million Doses by Year-End (6:10 a.m. NY)

Vietnam said it’s working to lock up deals for as many as 170 million Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of the year as the country grapples with its worst wave of the pandemic.

The government 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. has started human trials of the first once-a-day pill for Covid-19 patients, Dow Jones reported. The Japanese company started testing the pill and any potential side effects this month and trials are likely to continue until 2022. Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. are months ahead in their later-stage tests of pills and Pfizer has said its twice-daily pill could enter the market as soon as this year.

U.K. Taxpayers Seen Facing Pandemic Costs for Decades (3:54 p.m. HK)

British taxpayers will be paying for the coronavirus long after the pandemic is over, according to a pair of reports released Sunday by a bipartisan panel of lawmakers. “The Covid-19 response means government will be exposed to significant financial risks for decades to come,” the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts said.

The estimated lifetime costs of the government measures reached 372 billion pounds ($511 billion) in May, with 172 billion reported spent, the committee said. The reports come days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted most remaining coronavirus restrictions for England.

Distancing Extended in South Korea (3:15 pm H.K>)

South Korea will expand social distancing measures outside the capital Seoul from Monday and ban gatherings of more than five people. The country reported 1,487 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

“The proportion of confirmed cases in the non-capital areas has reached over 35%,” South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in told a virus response meeting Sunday. “It is clear that the virus is spreading across the country.” Seoul is already subject to strict curbs.

India’s Virus Cases Climb (1:45 p.m. HK)

India recorded 39,742 new daily Covid-19 cases, according to a health ministry statement Sunday. There are currently 408,212 active cases in the country, which has had a total of 31.4 million.

About 433 million vaccine doses have been administered so far, the ministry said.

Vingroup Holds Talks With Arcturus (12:55 p.m. HK)

Vingroup JSC is negotiating with U.S.-based Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. for vaccine production technology, news website NDH reported, citing a Friday meeting between Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and ministries.

The plans call for a Vietnam vaccine factory to have production capacity of 100 to 200 million doses a year. Arcturus Therapeutics developed a vaccine called Arcturus Covid-19, also known as Lunar-Cov19, using mRNA technology, NDH said.

Australia Warns of Infection Risk From Protests (11:30 a.m. HK)

Weekend protests in Australia’s largest cities, which saw thousands of maskless demonstrators breach stay-at-home orders, risk fueling new infections and causing an extension of restrictions, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

More than 50 people were arrested in Sydney and 500 fines issued, with others detained in Melbourne. “It was self-defeating, it will achieve no purpose,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra. “It will not end the lockdowns sooner, it will only risk the lockdowns running further.” New South Wales on Sunday confirmed 141 new Covid 19 cases in 24 hours, and two deaths, including a woman in her late 30s.

Japan to Open Virus Passport System (10:15 a.m. HK)

Japan will begin accepting applications Monday for a Covid-19 passport that’s intended to allow vaccinated travelers to bypass some testing measures and restrictions.

The certificate will ease entry conditions for travelers heading to five countries -- Italy, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria and Poland -- though initially won’t entitle people to avoid curbs on their return, the Nikkei newspaper reported Sunday, without citing any source. Japan will likely start using the passport for incoming travelers after the Tokyo Olympics end next month, according to the newspaper.

Thailand Cases Hit Record (9am H.K.)

Thailand reported 15,335 new Covid cases, a new daily record, as the Southeast Asian nation battles the spread of the delta strain. A near two-week semi-lockdown, which has included an overnight curfew and the shuttering of shopping malls to gyms, has failed to halt the deadliest outbreak the country has experienced since the pandemic began.

A total of 129 fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours, the highest one-day tally in more than a week, official data showed Sunday. Almost half of the country’s about 4,000 deaths have occurred this month.

Brazil Reports More Deaths (8:28 a.m. HK)

A total of 1,108 deaths were reported in Brazil in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 549,448, the country’s health ministry said on its website.

Brazil confirmed 38,091 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, raising the total to about 19.7 million, according to the ministry.

Australia to Get More Pfizer Doses (7:20 a.m. HK)

Australia has struck an agreement for 60 million additional Pfizer-BioNTech doses next year and 25 million doses in 2023, which would allow the country to offer booster shots, the government said.

The country, which has struggled to accelerate inoculation efforts, on Saturday reversed previous advice on AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine. Authorities told adult residents in areas with current outbreaks, including Sydney, to seriously consider using the option.

Australia previously had recommended that only people aged 60 and above should use the AstraZeneca product, which has been linked to rare blood clots.

Malaysian Lawmakers to Debate Virus (7 a.m. HK)

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassi is preparing to face questions over the country’s handling of the pandemic, as parliament sits Monday for the first time this year.

A five-day sitting will debate Malaysia’s emergency declaration and consider penalties for breaching Covid protocols. Cases in the nation have more than tripled since January.

Protesters Charged Over Australia Attacks (5.25 a.m. HK)

Two men will face court Sunday on charges of attacking police officers and horses during angry weekend protests in Sydney against lockdown measures.

The 33-year-old and 36-year-old suspects are accused of offenses including committing an act of cruelty on an animal, Sydney police said in a statement. Thousands of demonstrators breached stay-at-home orders to join protests across Australia.

U.K. May Push for Double-Vaccination (5 p.m. NY)

Anyone wanting to attend a Premier League soccer match, a major concert or a mass event of at least 20,000 people from Oct. 1 will have to show they are fully vaccinated, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The government is also set to ramp up a social media campaign targeted at 18- to 30-year-olds with the aim of linking inoculations with the idea of going on vacation, the report said.

California’s ICU Availability at 5-Month Low (4:50 p.m. NY)

California’s intensive-care unit bed availability fell to a five-month low as hospitalizations edged higher with more infections.

The number of ICU beds available dropped by 89 to 1,977. That’s still twice the number compared with the peak of the pandemic in January. The positive test rate rose to 5.2%, one of the highest levels since February.

The state added 7,984 new cases, bringing the total to almost 3.8 million, while deaths rose by 46 to 63,741. A total of 43.4 million vaccines were administered.

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