Singapore Eases; HK May Not Reopen Till Mid-2022: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore is rolling back some pandemic curbs, with five people from the same residence allowed to dine at restaurants starting from Wednesday. Those who are unvaccinated by choice will be required to pay for their own medical bills if they get Covid, while the city-state will also set up a vaccinated travel lane with Malaysia, lifting quarantine on one of the world’s busiest air routes. 

Hong Kong needs at least six months before reopening to the world, a government adviser said. The territory must finish negotiating open borders with the mainland and boost the vaccination rate, with Hong Kong and China remain the only places left in the world still pursuing a “Covid Zero” strategy. 

Nations across Europe are considering strategies to confront a new wave of cases. Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates on the continent, plans to reintroduce some restrictions to halt a recent spike in cases, having lifted curbs in September. 

Key Developments:

About 11,000 Boeing Workers Seek Jab Exemption (9:45 a.m. HK)

About 11,000 Boeing Co. employees have asked to be exempted from Covid-19 vaccines the planemaker has mandated, according to a person briefed on the matter, a sign of backlash among some rank-and-file workers to the Biden administration’s rules for government contractors.

Hong Kong Won’t Reopen to World Until Mid-2022 (8:30 a.m. HK)

Hong Kong could open up to global travel in roughly six months, after officials have successfully navigated the introduction of quarantine-free borders with mainland China and boosted the local vaccination rate, a government adviser said.

“We maybe need half a year or so to develop an adequate vaccination rate, especially among the older people,” Lam Ching-choi, a member of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s advisory Executive Council, said in an interview on Monday. “Hopefully by then, we have opened up the border with China and we might have conditions favorable to open up the border to other places.” 

Singapore Unvaccinated Must Pay Medical Bills (7:30 a.m. HK)

Singapore will require those who chose not to get the vaccines to pay for their own medical bills if they get Covid. To date, 85% of the population is fully vaccinated, and 18% have received boosters.

The city-state is also easing some tough restrictions put in place more than a month ago, with five people from the same residence allowed to dine at restaurants starting from Wednesday. Restaurants and bars will also be allowed to play soft recorded music, after music inside eateries was earlier banned to prevent patrons from having to raise their voices. 

The changes mark some relaxation of restrictive curbs that were reimposed on one of the most vaccinated countries in the world amid a jump in infections that have tested its health-care system. 

Texas Study Shows Risk to Unvaccinated (3:37 p.m. NY)

Texas warned residents that the unvaccinated are about 20 times more likely to die from the virus than fully vaccinated people and 13 times more likely to test positive.

The data was the result of a four-week, in-state study that compared electronic lab reports, death certificates and state immunization records, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement. The risk of death was 48 times higher for unvaccinated people in their 30s and 63 times higher for those in their 40s, the study found.

“This analysis quantifies what we’ve known for months,” Jennifer Shuford, the state’s chief epidemiolgist, said in the statement. “The Covid-19 vaccines are doing an excellent job of protecting people from getting sick and from dying from Covid-19.”

N.J. to Lift School Mask Rules in Phases (3:30 p.m. NY)

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he expects to lift school-mask requirements in phases, beginning with older students who are further along getting vaccinations. He gave no timeline for when the mandates would be lifted.

High schoolers 12-to-17 years old would go first, as about 60% already have received their shots, Murphy said Monday at a virus briefing. Children 5 to 11 just became eligible for the vaccine, and less than 10,000 have gotten their first jab so far out of 760,000 eligible in that age group.

Denmark to Bring Back Curbs (2:50 p.m. NY)

Denmark, which has one of Europe’s highest vaccination rates, plans to reintroduce some restrictions to halt a recent spike in cases. 

Danes will have to again present so-called corona passports to attend public events, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference late on Monday. The move follows a recommendation from health authorities that the country reclassify the virus as a disease that poses a critical threat to society.

U.K. Adds to Approved Shot List for Visitors (12:45 p.m. NY)

The U.K. government said beginning Nov. 22, travelers coming to England who received Covid vaccines on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing will be treated as fully vaccinated. Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing and Covaxin will be added to the list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, according to the U.K. government website.

NYC Boosts Sick Leave for Kids Vaccines (11:30 a.m. NY)

New York City is extending additional paid sick leave to city workers and contractors so they can get their children vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a briefing. He said workers would get four extra hours per child for each shot their children receive. 

Greece Reports Another Daily Case Record (11:30 a.m. NY)

Greece reported a new high of daily cases with 7,335 infections. It’s the sixth record in the past nine days, while the government took extra measures last week to contain spread of the virus by reaching out to unvaccinated people. Bookings for the first dose of the vaccine has been rising since then.

U.S. Hospitalizations at Lowest Since July (10 a.m. NY)

Almost 6% of hospital beds in U.S. hospitals were occupied by Covid-19 patients on Nov. 7, the least since July 28, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The hospitalization rate fell to 5.9% from 6.0% the day before, and hospital beds occupied by Covid-19 patients totaled 45,121. Idaho has the greatest percentage of beds occupied by Covid-19 patients at 13.0% followed by Montana at 12.1%

Covid Cocktail Gets Positive Review (7:28 a.m. NY)

Regeneron’s antibody cocktail cut the risk of contracting Covid-19 by 82% for up to eight months, according to a company-sponsored study that could pave the way for its broader use. 

The company has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the authorization so the drug can be used to prevent infections, even when it’s given before a person has been exposed.

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