Signs of a U.S. post-pandemic recovery increased as jobless claims fell and airlines signaled the worst of the travel downturn is over. New York state surpassed 2 million Covid-19 infections, though cases have slowed to less than a third of January’s pace.
An advisory group to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meets on Friday to decide whether the U.S. can resume using Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine. South Korea said it plans to import J&J shots as scheduled.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recommended a state of emergency for Tokyo and other areas, three months before the city hosts the Olympics. Europe is loosening restrictions as vaccination programs turn the corner.
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France Sets Reopening From Mid-May (12:16 p.m. NY)
Prime Minister Jean Castex said France will begin a “cautious” reopening in mid-May, preceded by a gradual easing of domestic travel curbs starting May 3, four weeks after President Emmanuel Macron announced them.
“The peak of the third wave seems to be behind us,” Castex told reporters. The timeline is conditional and not all venues will reopen at once, he said.
France isn’t alone in easing. Italy will loosen many restrictions on Monday, Greece will follow in early May and Germany is considering privileges for people who have been immunized.
Covid Can Kill Months Later, Study Shows (12:10 p.m. NY)
Covid-19 survivors had a 59% increased risk of dying within six months after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers reported in Nature. That works out to about 8 extra deaths per 1,000 patients, worsening the pandemic’s hidden toll as many patients require readmission -- and some die -- weeks after the viral infection abates.
One of the largest studies of Covid-19 “long haulers” proved what many doctors suspected: Not only are many patients suffering a raft of health problems six months after infection, they’re also at significantly greater risk of dying.
Intel Irish Site Hit by Outbreak, RTE Says (11:50 a.m. NY)
About 70 people at an Intel Corp. facility under construction near Dublin have come down with Covid-19, Irish broadcaster RTE reported.
Intel says the site remains operational, according to RTE.
N.Y. State Passes 2 Million Cases (11:44 a.m. NY)
New York on Thursday surpassed 2 million Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. The state is third behind Texas, with 2.9 million, and California with more than 3.7 million reported cases, according to Bloomberg data.
New York state recorded the biggest numbers of infections in mid-January, peaking on Jan. 14 with 19,942 positive tests. Vaccinations and measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing cut statewide hospitalizations to 3,757 as of Tuesday, from a peak of 18,826 in April 2020, the state Health Department reported.
American Air Sees ‘Continued Recovery’ (10:22 a.m. NY)
American Airlines Group Inc. reported a smaller-than-expected loss, bucking the pattern set by its two largest rivals. Southwest Airlines and Alaska Air also signaled they expect demand to pick up.
“With the momentum underway from the first quarter, we see signs of continued recovery,” American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said in a statement.
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Pandemic Low (8:45 a.m. NY)
Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance unexpectedly plunged to a pandemic low of 547,000 in the week ended April 17, Labor Department data showed Thursday.
The job market is strengthening as employers look to fill positions that were left empty by restrictions that have now been eased. Growth should speed up even more following a nationwide goal of administering an average of 3 million vaccinations per day. The data follow strong manufacturing, retail sales and other indicators in recent weeks.
Suga Recommends Tokyo Emergency (7:10 a.m. NY)
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recommended placing Tokyo, Osaka and other areas under a state of emergency. Tokyo recorded 861 new cases Thursday, the most since late January, while Osaka found a record 1,242 infections on Wednesday.
The emergency is likely to be in place from April 25 to May 11, Jiji Press said. While Japan has kept infections and deaths at far lower levels than much of Europe and the U.S., its vaccine program has yet to kick into high gear.
South Africa Set to Use J&J Shots (6:52 a.m. NY)
South Africa plans to begin administering Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine to the general public after settling a contractual dispute relating to an order for 31 million doses. The first batch of J&J shots being produced at an Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. plant in the Eastern Cape province is expected to be delivered by April 26. The rollout to people over the age of 60 and other vulnerable groups is set to begin on May 17.
Singapore to Bar India Visitors (6:48 a.m. NY)
Singapore said it will further tighten border controls with India, including a ban on visitors from the country, because of a “rapidly deteriorating situation” there. Authorities are also stepping up measures to prevent a wider outbreak within Singapore, officials said at a press conference on Thursday.
EU Data Show Vaccine Disparity (6:10 a.m. NY)
The European Union authorized the export of 136.1 million doses to 43 countries between Jan. 31 and April 19, according to an internal memo. Around 52.3 million were shipped to Japan, 16.2 million to the U.K. and 12.8 million to Canada.
The data in the document also highlight glaring differences in the efficiency of national vaccination campaigns. While Malta has already administered 67 doses per 100 adults, Bulgaria is only at 11 doses per 100. The average for the whole of the EU is 31.6.
U.K. Firms Facing Financial Distress (6 a.m. NY)
The number of U.K. businesses in significant financial distress jumped the most in at least seven years last quarter, with firms across all sectors seeing their situation deteriorate. There are 723,000 companies facing serious problems, according to a study Thursday - that’s a 15% increase from the end of last year; from a year ago, the number has climbed 42%.
Cigna Has Perks for Vaccinated Workers (5 p.m. HK)
Cigna Corp. said Thursday that it will give workers who are fully vaccinated $200 in payments to their health-spending accounts, as well as emergency paid time off they can use to get their shots. U.S. companies are starting to pay workers to get vaccinated, trying to encourage the hesitant or those who just haven’t had a chance to get the jab.
U.K. Pressed to Clarify Travel Restart (3:44 p.m. HK)
U.K. lawmakers put pressure on the government to clarify by the end of next week its plan to resume air travel, saying the country’s tourism-dependent industries face the risk of a second lost summer. The government has set a goal of restarting leisure travel by May 17 but hasn’t made a final decision to move ahead.
Valneva to Start Covid Shot Final Trial (3:35 p.m. HK)
Valneva SE will pit its Covid-19 vaccine against AstraZeneca’s in a phase three trial starting this month. The vaccine appears destined to be sold mostly in the U.K. after the company said talks with the European Commission have been unsuccessful. It’s the only whole, inactivated virus vaccine candidate in the U.K. portfolio.
EU Readies Legal Action Against Astra (2:29 p.m. HK)
The European Union’s executive arm is preparing to start a legal case by the end of the week against AstraZeneca over its failure to deliver its promised number of doses to the bloc. The procedure would take between five and seven weeks and the European Commission has asked capitals to join the process.
Astra delivered 30 million of its originally committed 120 million doses to the EU in the first quarter. Despite the shortfall, the EU has started to turn the corner in its vaccination campaign, and aims to inoculate 70% of its population by the end of the summer.
— With assistance by Katerina Petroff, Luke McGrath, Henry Goldman, and Dara Doyle
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