Biden’s Aid Plan; Singapore to Add ICU Beds: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Joe Biden plans to provide Southeast Asia with more funding to fight the pandemic. 

Singapore’s health ministry said an additional 100 beds in intensive care units will be ready next week. 

Australian regulators approved a Pfizer booster for adults. Separately, travelers from that nation and Switzerland will be allowed a quarantine-free entry to Singapore -- where ICU beds are filling up as serious cases rise.

Key Developments:

• Virus Tracker: Cases top 244.3 million; deaths surpass 4.96 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 6.9 billion shots given
• Covid waves hitting faster than ever challenge China’s hard line
• Beer flows in Brussels as Covid rules and border measures fall
• Office return stalls in London’s financial hubs: Pret Index
• How the dead are helping the living (Podcast)

Singapore Prepares More ICU Beds (11:30 a.m. HK)

Singapore’s health ministry said an additional 100 beds in intensive care units will be ready next week due to the current occupancy rates, which remain relatively high.

Of the 360 ICU beds in public hospitals, 285 have occupants, lowering the utilization rate to 79.2% from 83.6% a day earlier, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health Tuesday. Of that total, 146 patients were being treated for Covid-19 and 139 for non-Covid ailments. 

Singapore reported 3,277 new Covid-19 cases as of noon on Tuesday. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 1.11, and officials are watching for this figure to dip below 1 before potentially easing curbs.

Beijing Says Winter Olympic Athletes Can’t Interact With Public (11:15 a.m. HK)

Athletes will have “relative freedom of mobility” at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, but can’t interact with the public, Beijing Vice Mayor Zhang Jiandong says at a briefing. 

Philippines to Vaccinate Ages 12 to 17 (11 a.m. HK)

The Philippines will open Covid-19 vaccinations to all minors aged 12 to 17 starting early November, the Health Department said, after initially allowing only those with health conditions. Accelerating inoculations for the younger population will help boost the nation’s economy this quarter and spur holiday consumption, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez earlier said.

China Reports 50 New Confirmed Local Covid Cases Oct. 26 (10:10 a.m. HK)

China reports 32 new confimed local Covid-19 infections in Inner Mongolia, five in Guizhou, four in Shandong, four in Gansu, three in Beijing and two in Ningxia, according to a statement from the National Health Commission. 

Another four local asymptomatic cases were reported in Yunnan and Hebei. 

South Korea’s Latest Surge (9:30 a.m. HK)

South Korea confirmed 1,952 new coronavirus cases, the highest in nearly three weeks, countering a downward trend that had prompted the country to draft a plan to ease social distancing measures next month.

The latest surge, reflecting a sharp uptick in those taking the Covid-19 test, may raise questions about government’s plan to relax restrictions placed on businesses and private gatherings. Over the weekend, South Korea surpassed having 70% of the population fully vaccinated -- a key milestone for the government to consider lowering the country’s social distancing alert levels.

Biden to Pledge More Aid in Southeast Asia Summit (7:45 a.m. HK)

Biden is set to attend a virtual meeting with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday. At the meeting, Biden will unveil a plan to provide $40 million to strengthen health system capacity and speed up research as part of the battle against Covid-19 in a region that has just begun to recover from a wave of deadly cases.  

As part of Biden’s diplomatic push, the U.S. has donated more than 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to the region. 

Singapore to Open Travel Lanes With Australia, Switzerland (7:30 a.m. HK)

Singapore will allow people arriving from Australia and Switzerland to enter without having to quarantine from Nov. 8, as the Southeast Asian nation takes another step in reopening borders and reviving its economy and status as an aviation hub. 

Australia Approves Pfizer Booster (5:10 a.m. HK)

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved a booster dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.

The move means those individuals may receive a third dose at least six months after the completion of a Covid-19 vaccine primary series.

Southwest Shot Mandate Can Proceed During Case (5 p.m. NY)

Southwest Airlines Co. can require its pilots to be vaccinated against Covid 19, while their union challenges the company’s requirement for the shot in court.

U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn in Texas rejected the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association’s request to temporarily block the company mandate.

The union claims Southwest illegally changed work rules during the pandemic instead of negotiating with pilots, violating the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline-labor relations and its collective bargaining agreement, or CBA.

Pfizer Shot for Kids 5-11 Backed by FDA Panel (4:16 p.m. NY)

The benefits of a Covid-19 vaccine for young children made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE exceed its risks, according to a panel of U.S. experts, putting a shot for the youngest school-age children on track for a likely clearance.

The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccines advisory committee voted 17-0, with one abstention, to back the immunization, which is intended for children from 5 to 11 years old and is one-third the dose currently given to people age 12 and older. 

If the FDA issues an emergency authorization, which is expected, it could pave the way for shots to start being administered at schools, pediatricians’ offices and pharmacies around the U.S. within weeks. The agency isn’t required to follow the panel’s recommendations, but it often does.

Belgium Extends Use of Pass to Flemish Region (1:40 p.m. NY)

Belgium will extend the use of a Covid pass (a proof of vaccination, recovery or negative test) to restrict access to bars, restaurants and fitness clubs in the northern Flemish region starting next week. The Brussels capital region and southern Wallonia already decided to use the pass in those venues.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also announced the reinstatement of a mask requirement in indoor public spaces as of Friday, less than a month after abolishing the nationwide rule. Finally, Belgians got a “strong recommendation” to work from home again.

Belgium has reported the highest daily number of Covid-19 infections of 2021 in recent days. Cases are currently doubling every nine days.

U.S. Pediatric Hospital Visits Plunge (11:10 a.m. NY) 

Hospital admissions are declining sharply among U.S. children with Covid-19, even more than adults, quieting concerns for now that the return to school could trigger a major uptick in viral transmission.

Daily pediatric admissions with confirmed Covid have fallen 56% since the end of August to an average of about 0.2 per 100,000, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. Among adults, new admissions fell 54% to 2.1 per 100,000 in the same period, the data show.

H.K. Allows Young Travelers With 1 Dose (10:35 a.m. NY)

Hong Kong will allow inbound travelers age 12-17 who hold recognized record for one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to board flights to the city starting Oct. 29, the government said in statement.

Vaccine Makers in Africa (9:30 a.m. NY)

BioNTech plans to start building its first start-to-finish vaccine plant in Africa in the middle of next year, aiming to build a manufacturing network that could eventually supply hundreds of millions of doses to the continent. The German company, which makes a vaccine in partnership with Pfizer Inc., is developing the plans with the governments of Rwanda and Senegal.

Separately, Moderna Inc. agreed to sell as many as 110 million doses to the African Union following months of pressure, though most of the shipments won’t arrive until the second quarter of next year. The purchase was made possible by the U.S. government giving up its place in the supply queue, African Union coronavirus envoy Strive Masiyiwa said at a briefing.

Danish Covid Rate Rises After Curbs End (9 a.m. NY)

Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, has registered a rise in Covid-19 cases with several key indicators showing that the virus has accelerated in the past month.

The reproductive rate of the virus, known as the R rate, is now 1.2, up from 1 a week ago, which means the virus is spreading, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke tweeted on Tuesday.

FDA Advisers Meet to Discuss Pfizer for Kids (8:20 a.m. NY)

A group of experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration on vaccines is holding a daylong meeting on Tuesday to discuss Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s proposed Covid-19 shot for kids from 5 to 11 years old. 

Data submitted by the companies showed the shot was highly effective, and the FDA staff said in a report that the benefits probably outweigh any risks. One issue that the panel may focus on is myocarditis, a heart-related side effect that has been seen in some younger men after getting messenger RNA vaccines.

If the panel agrees that the benefits exceed the risks and the FDA issues an emergency authorization, it could pave the way for kids to begin getting shots within weeks. A panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to consider further recommendations on the shot next week.

Covid Worries Executives (8 a.m. NY)

Risks related to Covid-19 and the economic havoc it wreaked across the globe are keeping corporate executives up at night.

That’s the takeaway from an Aon Plc survey of 2,344 risk managers, chief risk officers and chief financial officers conducted in the second quarter. Cyber attacks were the No. 1 most-cited hazard, and more than half of the Top 10 risks executives say they face today are tied to the pandemic, according to survey results released Tuesday.

“One of the things Covid-19 demonstrated is that long-term risks are no longer a long way out on the horizon. They’re actually on many businesses’ doorsteps,” said Lambros Lambrou, chief executive officer for commercial risk solutions at Aon. 

Mobile Hospital in Ukraine (7:35 a.m. NY)

In Ukraine, the State Emergency Service is setting up a mobile hospital to treat Covid patients including those needing intensive care. When assembled, 35 tents will add 120 beds in the Kherson region on the Black Sea. Ukraine broke another record Tuesday with 734 new deaths.

Swiss Regulator Approves Boosters (7:07 a.m. NY)

Switzerland’s drug regulator Swissmedic approved a third shot of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people at high risk. 

“The latest study data indicate that an additional dose can increase the ability to form antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, particularly in patients with a weakened immune system,” it said in a statement.

17 Cases Reported in Beijing (7 a.m. NY)

China’s capital city Beijing has reported 17 confirmed local cases as of Monday. They are all over 57 years old and some have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the local government briefing. China hasn’t reported any death from Covid since February.

Lilly Raises Forecast on Covid Antibody Demand (6:42 a.m. NY)

Eli Lilly & Co. raised its full-year forecast as the delta variant-fueled surge in cases spurred demand for its Covid-19 treatment, particularly among the unvaccinated. 

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