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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and urged all Indians eligible for the shot to get inoculated. Elsewhere in Asia, the Philippines, which has the second-worst outbreak in Southeast Asia, started vaccinations, while New Zealand’s largest city Auckland entered a seven-day lockdown on Sunday.
Starting Monday in Europe, Italy will tighten curbs in some cities to counter an acceleration of the virus caused by new variants, particularly the strain first found in the U.K. The Norwegian capital Oslo will close restaurants and shops to also curb an acceleration of new cases caused by virus strains.
Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Covid-19 vaccine was cleared for distribution after U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended that adults 18 and older should receive it.
Key Developments:
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Malaysia Expects to Flatten Virus Curve (12:18 p.m. H.K.)
Malaysia expects to flatten the Covid-19 curve in the coming months through ongoing restrictions on movement, adherence to virus protocols and a national immunization program, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised speech Monday.
The government is drafting a strategy to contain the pandemic, that includes a more targeted approach such as strict lockdowns in cluster areas. The economy will continue to reopen, subject to social distancing and strict protocols, he said.
Study on China Virus Deaths (10:01 a.m. H.K.)
A study published in the British Medical Journal in February showed that deaths in the first three months of 2020 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan was 56% higher than expected, driven mostly by fatalities from pneumonia associated with Covid-19.
A total of 4,573 deaths were caused by pneumonia in this period, researchers from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Oxford found by combing through the local death registry. The number is largely in line with the 4,636 deaths from Covid-19 that China’s National Health Commission has reported since the beginning of the pandemic, a number that was revised up 40% by officials last April.
A separate study on the real magnitude of coronavirus infections in China, conducted in April shortly after China contained the outbreak in Wuhan, found that people with past signs of infection was ten times more than the official data on cases in the city.
Under-reporting of cases and deaths are common worldwide, given factors like lack of testing and people dying at home. The U.S. among others has alleged that China concealed the extent of its outbreak. Beijing has denied these charges and said that accurate data took time to compile given the chaotic environment when the pandemic first emerged.
India PM Takes First Dose of Vaccine (9:55 a.m. H.K.)
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet Monday that he took his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and urged all Indians eligible for the shot to get inoculated. Modi took Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The Asian nation, with the world’s second-largest outbreak, has approved one vaccine from Astrazeneca and another from homegrown Bharat Biotech. Hesitation over Bharat Biotech’s shot has been especially strong as the vaccine was approved in January for use before final stage testing was completed, and the company has not disclosed full safety and efficacy data.
Modi is seeking to bolster one of the world’s largest inoculation programs that aims to vaccinate about a quarter of India’s population by August. Only 14.3 million people have been vaccinated so far, according to data from India’s health ministry.
Texas, California Led Decline in Virus Hospitalizations (7:58 a.m. H.K.)
Texas and California led a national decline in Covid-19 hospitalizations, data from the Department of Health and Human Services show. U.S. hospitals were treating 54,808 patients for the coronavirus as of Sunday, down 5.5% from the 58,023 reported on Feb. 25, and 58% from the mid-January peak of 131,637. The number in California dropped 9% to 6,104 and 8.4% to 6,796 in Texas over the past three days.
CDC Head Signs Off on J&J Shot Approval (5:15 p.m. NY)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky formally recommended that adults 18 and older should receive Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine, the agency said in a statement Sunday. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier in the day voted unanimously to recommend the one-shot vaccine.
Walensky’s sign-off means that J&J’s vaccine can now be administered. The company said in a statement it planned to ship 100 million doses in the first half of the year, giving the U.S. its third approved Covid-19 vaccine.
Fauci Warns Against Vaccine Shopping (3:43 p.m. NY)
Anthony Fauci pushed back against any tendency to shop around or wait for a preferred vaccine among the three that are now approved for use in the U.S.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was asked on ABC’s “This Week” about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which got the go-ahead on Saturday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A healthcare worker prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Klerksdorp Hospital in South Africa on Feb. 18.
Photographer: Phill Magakoe/AFP/Getty Images
The one-dose J&J shot was found to be highly effective at preventing severe Covid-19, but has a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. vaccines, raising concerns that some people may opt to wait rather than being vaccinated with it. “We’ve got to get away from that chain of thought,” Fauci said on ABC.
California Deaths Fall to 2-Week Low (2:25 p.m. NY)
California reported 158 deaths yesterday, the lowest since Feb. 15 and below the 14-day average of 367, according to the health department’s website. The state has reported 51,979 fatalities in total. There were 4,685 new cases, below the average of 5,406. California’s 14-day positive test rate dropped to 2.7%, the lowest since Oct. 20. The state has administered almost 48.5 million tests in total.
A member of the California National Guard directs vehicles entering a Covid-19 mass vaccination site in Oakland, California, on Feb. 16.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
France Reports Fewer Cases (2:09 p.m. NY)
France reported on Sunday 19,952 new cases in 24 hours, a low number compared to previous days, though weekend reporting is often incomplete. This comes against a background of tighter restrictions in several parts of the country, such as local lockdowns over the weekends, due to the spread of variants, and as the government is reluctant to impose a third nationwide confinement.
South Africa Eases Curbs (1:49 p.m. NY)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa eased restrictions as the rate of new infections dropped, scrapping most limits on alcohol sales, shortening a nighttime curfew and permitting larger public gatherings.
Cyril Ramaphosa
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
The move to virus alert level 1, from level 3, comes a year after the first Covid-19 case was detected in the country, and will remove most remaining shackles on the struggling economy, Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday.
The average daily number of new coronavirus cases in South Africa has dropped to less than 1,500, from a peak of about 22,000 in early January.
U.K. Detects Cases of Brazil Variant (12:34 p.m. NY)
Six cases of a Brazilian coronavirus variant have been detected in the U.K., Public Health England said, warning the mutation may be more resistant to vaccines.
Two cases in England are from the same household in Gloucestershire with a history of travel to Brazil, while a third is unlinked, PHE said on Sunday in an emailed statement. Another three have been detected in Scotland, it said.
Norway Tightens Curbs on Capital (12:26 a.m. NY)
Norwegian capital Oslo will close restaurants and shops from Monday to curb an acceleration of new cases caused by virus strains, especially the one first found in the U.K. Exceptions will be allowed for pharmacies, groceries and take-away meals.
Norway has fared better during the pandemic than many other countries, including its neighbor Sweden. Still, cases in the capital have increased by about 50% in four days following a recent winter school break. The restrictions will be in place until March 15.
Germany to Revise Astra Guidance for Elderly (12:14 p.m. NY)
Germany’s STIKO health authority will soon reconsider its decision not to recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65. “There will be a new updated recommendation very soon,” head of STIKO Thomas Mertens told ZDF television late on Saturday. Last month, Germany decided to keep its recommendation for the vaccine to only be administered to people aged 18-64, saying there was no sufficient data for effectiveness for 65 and above.
Cuomo’s Powers Should Be Curbed, De Blasio Says (11:50 a.m. NY)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Governor Andrew Cuomo should be stripped of his emergency powers, following accusations of sexual harassment and improper counting of deaths at nursing homes.
Andrew Cuomo
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg
“Questions of this magnitude cannot hang over the heads of New Yorkers as we fight off a pandemic and economic crisis,” de Blasio said in a statement Sunday. “It’s clear what must now take place.”
The two Democrats have become political adversaries, sparring frequently over decisions during the pandemic. At the start of the outbreak in New York, Cuomo said de Blasio did not have the authority to declare city schools shut for the academic year.
Italy Tightens Restrictions (11:28 a.m. NY)
Italy will tighten curbs in Milan, Turin and other areas starting Monday to counter an acceleration of the virus caused by new variants, particularly the strain first found in the U.K. People in designated medium-risk and high-risk areas, known as orange and red zones, will be barred from leaving their city or town except for work or emergency reasons. Some areas will also close schools.
U.S. Vaccines on Track After Storms (10 a.m. NY)
The U.S. set records over the last two days for vaccinations, the drive now recovered after extreme winter weather paralyzed parts of the nation, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. On Saturday, 2.4 million doses were administered, and on Friday, 2.2 million. Before the storms, doses peaked at 2 million a day on Feb. 12 and 13, the tracker shows.
In total, 72.8 million doses have been given in the U.S., with an average over the last week at 1.65 million a day.
Czechs Eager for Russian Shots (9:20 a.m. NY)
The Czech Republic won’t wait for the European Union regulator’s approval to use a Russian coronavirus vaccine, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said.
The country has taken “concrete steps” to purchase the Sputnik V vaccine and will use it if Czech health authorities approve, Babis said on Sunday in a weekly debate show on Prima TV. Local drug authorities’ assessment of the safety of the vaccine “would be sufficient” to use the shots, he said.
The Sputnik V vaccine.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
Heathrow Imposes Pandemic Charges (8:43 a.m. NY)
London’s Heathrow airport will charge departing passengers an extra 8.90 pounds ($12.40) in an effort to claw back costs as the coronavirus crisis depresses air travel.
Heathrow has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic since it relies on long-haul markets that have been all-but wiped out. The airport last week posted a 2 billion-pound loss for 2020 after passenger numbers tumbled 73%, a decline it says has left it unable to cover the costs of providing some services.
U.S. Deaths, Cases Decline (8 a.m. NY)
Reported U.S. cases declined on Saturday to 68,049, a daily total that’s little changed from the previous seven-day average, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.
The U.S. added 1,536 deaths, the fewest since Monday, according to the data.
— With assistance by Ian Fisher
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