Cases Rise in China and Germany; Brisbane Lockdown: Virus Update

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(Bloomberg) --

China and Germany reported increasing case numbers, while Russian deaths rose. Brisbane joined Australia’s biggest city of Sydney in lockdown.

New Orleans is planning a mask mandate while Florida, which accounts for more than a fifth of all U.S. infections, reported 110,477 weekly cases, an increase of more than 50% from the previous week.

The U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass legislation that would have extended a national moratorium on renter evictions, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes after the ban lifts on Saturday.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases top 197 million; deaths pass 4.2 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 4 billion doses administeredStates tracked breakthrough cases even as CDC stoppedU.K.’s delta rollercoaster flips between virus horror and hopeU.S. eviction risk is high in area with low vaccination ratesAre Covid shots working? What the real world tells us: QuickTake

China Cases Surge (4:51 p.m. HK)

China reported a surge in Covid-19 cases in July as the highly contagious delta variant spreads. The country recorded 328 new locally transmitted cases this month, almost equaling the amount of cases reported in the previous five months combined, National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a press briefing Saturday.

Russian Deaths Rise (4:30 p.m. HK)

Russia recorded 23,807 new cases of coronavirus in the most recent 24-hour period, according to the government’s virus response center. The number of deaths rose to 792, close to the nation’s all-time daily high of 799 reported three times over the past three weeks.

German Cases Increase (4:02 p.m. HK)

Germany recorded 2,400 new cases of coronavirus, a jump of a quarter since last week, according to the Robert Koch-Institut. The seven-day incidence rate continues to creep higher and stands at 16.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Compared with this time last year, average daily infections across a seven-day time span are more than three times higher.

Singapore Tightens Border Measures (3:23 p.m. HK)

Singapore will tighten border measures for travelers from Australia and China’s Jiangsu province after recent increases in Covid-19 cases there.

Travelers entering Singapore from Aug. 2 with a travel history to Australia within the past 21 days will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine at a dedicated facility, the health ministry said.

Case in Central Chinese City (2:10 p.m. HK)

The city of Zhengzhou in central China has found one new case of Covid-19 as well as several suspected infections, according to a statement posted on the local government’s official WeChat account Saturday. The confirmed case showed no symptoms, it said.

The government will speed up mass testing of potential infections and guide the public to go out less, according to the statement.

Tokyo Disneyland Cuts Hours (10:35 a.m. HK)

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will remain open but with shortened hours through August, operator Oriental Land Co. said Saturday. The decision comes as Chiba prefecture, where both parks are located and which borders Tokyo, prepares to head into a state of emergency following a surge in Covid-19 cases. The parks will not serve alcohol through the end of the month, Oriental Land said.

Brisbane Joins Sydney in Lockdown (10:08 a.m. HK)

Brisbane joined Australia’s biggest city of Sydney in lockdown after the discovery of six new cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus in Queensland’s state capital.

In Sydney, the epicenter of the county’s outbreak, there were 210 new locally acquired infections in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on Friday, state health authorities said.

Some 1,000 police officers were on standby in Sydney to respond to any anti-lockdown demonstrators after a violent protest last weekend, said New South Wales state Deputy Police Commissioner Michael Willing.

Malaysia Extends Sarawak Emergency (8:30 a.m. HK)

Malaysia has extended an emergency ordinance in the Borneo state of Sarawak in a bid to hold off a state election amid the pandemic, according to a proclamation signed by King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad on Friday.

The emergency, scheduled to end Sunday, will be extended until Feb. 2, according to the proclamation.

The pandemic in Malaysia has worsened mainly due to the emergence of the delta variant, with the nation reporting a record 17,405 new daily cases on July 28. Infections have passed the 1 million mark.

New Orleans Clamps Down on Outbreak (7:10 a.m. HK)

New Orleans will mandate masks indoors in public places -- regardless of vaccination status -- and require all city workers to be inoculated, Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced Friday.

“You really need that mask on, period,” she said at a news conference. “Whether you are vaccinated and of course if you’re not vaccinated.”

Louisiana has one of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, with just over 42% of people having received at least one dose, compared with the national average of 57.4%. Louisiana cases are now at the highest point of the pandemic. Governor John Bel Edwards said that there are more emergency room visits now because of Covid-like symptoms than at any other time of the pandemic. He said Friday he is “seriously considering” a state-wide mask mandate indoors in public spaces.

House Fails to Extend Eviction Moratorium (6:26 a.m. HK)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bid for a last-minute extension of an eviction moratorium for renters collapsed Friday, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes after the ban lifts on Saturday.

The rare political defeat for Pelosi, who has exercised tight control over House Democrats but was unable to unify them behind the effort.

The House adjourned Friday without taking up legislation to extend the moratorium until Oct. 18. That came after a day of arm-twisting by the Speaker and her leadership team as they tried to find the votes.

Florida Cases Soar (6:16 a.m. HK)

Florida reported 110,477 weekly cases, an increase of more than 50% from the previous week and vaulting the state’s infections to the level of the surge around the New Year, state data show. The state continues to account for more than a fifth of all U.S. infections.

The positive test rate rose to 18.1%, from 15.1% the week before. That compares to a U.S. average of 7.8%. The seven-day average for New York state is 2.28%.

Disney, Walmart to Mandate Vaccines (4:25 p.m. NY)

Walt Disney Co. said it will require all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any of its sites to be fully vaccinated. It has also begun talks with unions about a vaccine mandate for employees under collective bargaining agreements.

Walmart Inc. is requiring its headquarters and regional staff to be vaccinated by Oct. 4, unless they have an approved exception. The requirement does not apply to associates that work in stores and clubs. Walmart separately told its frontline store and warehouse associates Friday to don masks again.

Chicago Recommends Masks Indoors (2:28 p.m. NY)

Chicago now recommends everyone over two years old to wear masks in public indoor settings, following the CDC guidance.

Illinois reported almost 11,700 new cases this week, a 46% increase over the previous week, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. Hospitalizations rose 35% week over week and intensive-care admissions climbed by 24%, with a 41% increase of people on ventilators. Another 39 deaths were reported.

CDC Scaled Back Hunt for Breakthrough Cases (3 p.m. NY)

The U.S. agency leading the fight against Covid-19 gave up a crucial surveillance tool tracking the effectiveness of vaccines just as a troublesome new variant of the virus was emerging. While the CDC stopped comprehensively tracking what are known as vaccine breakthrough cases in May, the consequences of that choice are only now beginning to show.

While the CDC has stopped tracking such cases, many states have not. Bloomberg gathered data from 35 states and identified 111,748 vaccine breakthrough cases through the end of July, more than 10 times the CDC’s end-of-April tally.

Breakthrough cases are expected, and the number and proportion of them should rise as more people are vaccinated. The CDC said at the time that it would continue to collect data on breakthrough cases only if the infections resulted in hospitalization or death — rare because vaccines provide significant protection.

FDA to Accelerate Full Approval Review (2:35 p.m. NY)

The Food and Drug Administration plans to speed up its review of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine for full approval in an effort to persuade more to get immunized.

An FDA spokesperson said the agency is taking “an all-hands-on-deck approach.” President Joe Biden has said he expects full approval for Covid shots in early fall.

Florida Governor Counters Mask Mandates (2:10 p.m. NY)

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida said he would sign an executive order to reverse a decision by Broward County, the state’s second-largest, to require masks indoors in schools for students, staff and visitors.

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