U.S. Sets Shot Rule; WHO Says Pandemic Not Ending: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. authorities issued a federal rule mandating Covid-19 vaccinations or at least weekly testing for workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees. Workers must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or submit to testing. Moderna Inc. reported disappointing earnings. 

The World Health Organization warned that a surge of cases in Europe has pushed the region back as the epicenter of the pandemic. In Germany, some hospitals are “massively burdened” by an influx of virus patients as cases rose to a record. 

Passengers traveling from mainland China will be segregated at Hong Kong’s airport, in a move aimed at convincing the Chinese government to reopen its border with the city. Authorities are seeking to protect Beijing against growing virus outbreaks. 

Key Developments:

• Virus Tracker: Cases surpass 248.2 million; deaths top 5 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 7.1 billion shots given
• Scientists Find Gene That Doubles Risk of Dying From Covid-19
• Vaccine Skeptics Foiled by White House Meeting Them on Mandate
• Covid-19 Impact: Best of Bloomberg Intelligence

WHO Warns on Pandemic (1:15 p.m.)

The case surge in Europe despite its access to vaccinations should be a warning shot for the world, a World Health Organization official said at a media briefing Thursday.

Amid a wrong perception that the pandemic is moving toward the end, governments may be hesitant to make moves that seem like steps backward to their populations, according to Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s health emergencies program.

“Every country needs to look at its strategic preparedness and response plan and look at the gaps in the system that exist right now and plug those holes,” Ryan said. “Every country needs to ensure they can get through the next few months without systems going into collapse again. In many countries, that will require a course correction and a real focus on ensuring every person has had full vaccination.”

Eiffel Tower Tourists Return (1 p.m. N.Y. time)

A return of American tourists helped bump up the number of visitors to Paris’s Eiffel Tower to pre-Covid-19 levels last month, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the landmark’s operator, Sete.

The number of visitors in October topped 20,000 a day and were “better than in 2019 on the weekends,” AFP cited Sete as saying. Over the summer, the site received about 13,000 visitors a day, compared with 25,000 before the health crisis as the numbers were capped by health restrictions -- including a 50% limit on the number of people allowed in elevators.

Pfizer Effective in S. Africa Study (12:30 p.m. N.Y. time)

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine helps prevent severe disease among those infected with the delta variant, according to research involving 1.2 million medical insurance plan members in South Africa.

Two weeks after the first dose, the Pfizer vaccine is 73% effective in protecting against hospital admission. Waiting the same period after the second shot raises that to 92%. Unvaccinated members had a five times higher risk of infection and 20 times the risk of dying from complications of an infection.

New High in Greece (12 p.m N.Y. time)

Greece recorded a new high of daily Covid-19 cases Thursday, reporting 6,808 infections in the past 24 hours, the most since the beginning of the pandemic. It was the fourth record high in the last five days, while the government announced Tuesday a number of restrictive measures targeting the unvaccinated people. Greece will open Nov. 5 the platform for everyone above 18 years old to get their booster shot, provided that it has been at least six months from the second one.

Hochul Gives Hope on Masks (11:50 a.m. N.Y. time)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, speaking Thursday at an AARP event with City & State, said she is in favor of getting rid of school mask mandates when the time is right.

“I do want to give parents and kids that sense of hope,” she said. “This is not a permanent situation, the mask will come off.”

Hochul said she and the state will continue to work on creative ways to encourage families to get their children vaccinated. There’s no “magic number,” on how many children need to be vaccinated before the mask mandates are lifted, Hochul said. “I’ll be waiting for the CDC to help us declare when this is over.”

NYC Dangles $100 Incentives (11 a.m. N.Y. time)

New York City began offering shots for 5-to-11 year olds Thursday at city-run sites, where kids are eligible for a $100 incentive,  Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a briefing.

Next week, each public school with students in the age group will have a vaccine site for at least one day, the mayor said. When asked what threshold of vaccinations will be needed for schools to drop mask requirements, de Blasio said that out of an abundance of caution, schools will keep masking at least in the short term.

The city has ordered about 330,000 doses that have either arrived or will be coming in the next few days, Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said. 

De Blasio also addressed the city worker vaccine mandate, saying firehouses are all open and response times are normal. On Thursday morning, four units were out of service, fewer than the amount the fire department typically sees, Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

Latvia Rule on Refusal (10:30 a.m. N.Y. time)

Latvian parliament backed law amendments on Thursday that enable employers to dismiss employees if they refuse to get inoculated against Covid-19. If an employee fails to get a required Covid-19 shot in 3 months after suspension from work, an employer will have the right to terminate a contract immediately and to offer the employee one month’s severance pay

Poland Reports Case Surge (10 a.m. N.Y. time)

Poland reported more than 15,000 cases, a 59% rise compared to last week. Number of hospitalized people rose by 39% in a week, with the most serious situation in lower-vaccinated eastern regions as well as Warsaw where hospitals are becoming crammed. The government will discuss whether to impose any new restrictions on Nov. 5.

EU Panel Weighs Astra Booster ( 9:30 a.m. New York)

AstraZeneca is submitting a data package to the European Medicines Agency today that could support the use of its Covid-19 vaccine as a booster shot, according to Marco Cavaleri, the head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy. The EMA will discuss with the company whether the data is sufficient or more evidence is needed to conclude whether it can be approved as a booster.

U.S. Vaccine Deadline (9:17 a.m. NY)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a federal rule mandating Covid-19 vaccinations or at least weekly testing for workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees.

The first compliance deadline for employers—providing time off for workers to get inoculated and ensuring those who aren’t vaccinated are wearing masks—is Dec. 5. Workers must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or submit to testing.

Read more here: Vaccine Mandate Leaves Little Wiggle Room for 100-Worker Rule

Europe Is Covid Epicenter (9:10 a.m. NY)

The World Health Organization warned that a surge of coronavirus cases in Europe and Central Asia pushed the region back as the epicenter of the pandemic.

There are now 78 million cases in the European region, which is more than infections reported in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Western Pacific and Africa combined. Last week, Europe and Central Asia accounted for almost half of the world’s reported deaths from Covid-19. 

Moderna Lowers Vaccine Sales Forecast (9:02 a.m. NY) 

Moderna Inc. shares slid after the company lowered its forecast for 2021 Covid-19 vaccine sales. Moderna now sees sales of $15 billion to $18 billion, down from $20 billion expected earlier this year. 

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