Austria Locks Down Unvaccinated, Germany Urges WFH: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

Austria will implement a lockdown for unvaccinated people as coronavirus cases spike to record levels. The move is the most drastic yet by a Western European country to tamp down the latest wave of the coronavirus.

German leaders plan to require companies to allow employees to work from home when possible and made urgent pleas for wider vaccine uptake as cases in the country multiply to near-record levels. 

China reiterated the need to aggressively quash domestic Covid-19 infections, measures which extended to at least one pet while its owner was away. The dog in Shangrao city in eastern Jiangxi province received “non-hazardous treatment” before its death, according to a government statement.

Key Developments:

Austria Lockdown for Unvaccinated (6:46 a.m. NY)

Austria will implement a lockdown for unvaccinated people as coronavirus cases spike to record levels from Monday. 

Speaking in Vienna, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said Austrian needs to raise its “shamefully low vaccination rate.” 

Czech Cases Rise (6:40 p.m. HK)

The Czech republic recorded 9,161 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours through Saturday, up by 3,400 from a week ago, according to the health ministry data. The nation of 10.7 million people reported more than 10,000 daily cases for four consecutive days this week. The outgoing government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis plans to announce new measures to stem the spread on Monday but is seeking agreement on curbs with the future cabinet lead by the Civic Democrats.

Swiss Boosters for Everyone (5:09 p.m. HK)

A third vaccination will have to be extended to the general population in the near future, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in an interview with local paper NZZ am Sonntag. Switzerland currently recommends booster shots for people over 65 years old.  

Germany Plans to Require Remote Work Option (3:20 p.m. HK)

Due to a recent surge in covid cases, the three parties negotiating to form Germany’s next government plan to require companies to allow office workers to work from home where possible, Handelsblatt newspaper reported.

Germany recorded another 33,498 coronavirus infections in the 24 hours through Sunday morning, taking the total since the start of the pandemic above 5 million, according to data from the RKI public-health institute. The number of deaths rose by 55 to 97,672, while the seven-day incidence rate climbed to 289.

Cathay Tightens Crew Measures (11:20 a.m. HK)

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said it will move its crew to a different hotel in Frankfurt after a pilot arriving from the German city to Hong Kong tested positive for Covid-19, the South China Morning Post reported. The airline will suspend layovers in the city as soon as possible, according to the report, and compliance checks at overseas stations will also be increased. 

China’s Strict Policies to Stay (10:30 a.m. HK) 

China covid tsar Liang Wannian reiterated the need to aggressively quash domestic Covid-19 infections and limit severe cases. The nation’s strict measures have not hindered its economy, Xinhua cited him as saying. 

In Shangrao city, the local government issued a statement in response to a complaint from a woman who said she suspected her dog had been culled in her home while she was in hotel quarantine. Workers disinfecting the area had given the animal “non-hazardous treatment” without informing the owner and had apologized, according to the government statement. 

Thailand Tourists Return (9:45 a.m. HK) 

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said he is satisfied with almost 40,000 foreign tourists entering Thailand between Nov. 1-12 after the nation’s reopening. 

Bangkok will allow internet cafes and game centers to reopen from Nov. 16 as daily new infections have fallen below 10,000 daily cases since late October, compared with the peak of 20,000 daily cases in August.

Australia Nears Vaccinating Young Children (5:30 p.m. NY)

Australia could begin its rollout of Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 in January, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In the clearest signal yet from the government for a start date, Covid-19 Taskforce Commander Lieutenant General John Frewen said doses of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine have been secured but aren’t yet in the country. 

Austria Reported to Restrict the Unvaccinated (5:22 p.m. NY)

Austria’s central government leaders, regional officials and lawmakers are expected to sign off on an initial 10-day “lockdown for the unvaccinated” on Sunday. People who aren’t vaccinated against Covid-19 will only be allowed to enter stores to shop for necessities. They’re already banned from pubs and restaurants, sports events and hair stylists. 

Austria has vaccinated 67.6% of the population with at least one dose, trailing the 69.6% rate across a group of 30 mostly European Union countries.

U.S. Weekly Vaccinations Highest Since May (4:32 p.m. NY)

The U.S. administered almost 10 million vaccine doses in the last week, the most since late May, the White House said on Saturday. By Wednesday, about 900,000 shots had been given to young children. Booster shots are outpacing first doses by far. 

Meanwhile, new U.S. infections for the week that ended Friday were the highest in more than a month, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. Daily deaths also increased slightly in the week that ended Friday compared with the previous seven days. Fatalities are almost 40% less than in early October. 

Singapore Eases Rules on Vaccine Records for U.S. Travelers (2 p.m. NY)

Singapore eased its rules for vaccination records for travelers from the U.S. The city-state will now accept a physical vaccination card along with a letter from the provider of the inoculation, the Straits Times reported.

The move came after travelers from the U.S. were served quarantine notices when they arrived in Singapore because their vaccination records weren’t recognized.

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