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The U.K. government said there have been 25 new reports of rare types of blood clots linked to AstraZeneca’s vaccine recently, adding to the numbers that have caused European countries to adopt precautionary measures. Germany’s vaccine commission recommended that people under 60 years of age who received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s shot should get an alternative product for their second dose.
A border city in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan will roll out vaccines Friday for all of its 300,000 residents, after it reported the country’s biggest flare-up in Covid-19 infections in more than a month.
Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease official, said the country may not need AstraZeneca’s vaccine even if it passes U.S. regulatory approval, Reuters reported, citing an interview. Sinovac said annual production capacity of its Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac has reached 2 billion doses.
Key Developments:
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EU Sanitary Pass Seen Likely for Summer (3:10 p.m. HK)
A sanitary pass to move between various EU countries this summer will most likely be made mandatory, European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said in an interview on RTL. The pass will show proof of vaccination, a negative PCR test result, or immunity after catching the virus.
France Sticks to Daily Vaccination Target as 3rd Lockdown Starts (2:55 p.m. HK)
France aims to keep administering 400,000 daily vaccines as the country enters a third lockdown, Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said during an interview on Radio Classique. The country administered 375,691 jabs on Thursday. France may need fewer AstraZeneca shots in the second half of this year as more vaccine deliveries arrive in the EU, she said.
Germany Says Under 60s Shouldn’t Get 2nd Astra Dose (2:40 p.m. HK)
Germany’s vaccine commission recommended that people under 60 years of age who received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s shot should get an alternative product for their second dose.
The commission said that an mRNA-vaccine -- such as the one produced jointly by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE -- should be given 12 weeks after the first shot. Germany decided this week to halt use of the Astra vaccine for people younger than 60 after a handful of new cases of severe blood clots emerged. Separately, a new poll found German voters are increasingly unhappy with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s pandemic strategy, with nearly 80% saying they are dissatisfied to some degree with the government’s crisis management.
Vials of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine at Central Mosque of Brent in the Willesden Green district of London, U.K., on Friday, March 19, 2021. Skepticism and misinformation are hampering efforts to protect the U.K.’s most diverse and deprived communities.
Hungary to Turn Corner in Pandemic in Mid-April, Orban Says (2:15 p.m. HK)
Hungary, suffering from one of the most deadly coronavirus outbreaks in the world, is set to turn a corner in that fight within 2-3 weeks when vaccinations begin to show a strong impact, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday. The eastern European country has given at least a first shot to more than 2 million of its almost 10 million inhabitants.
Malaysia, China Agree on Mutual Recognition of Vaccine Certs (2:00 p.m. HK)
Malaysia and China have agreed in principal to mutually recognize their vaccination digital certificates, or Covid-19 health certification, Malaysia Foreign Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a briefing during his visit to China. This would facilitate cross-border movement between Malaysia and China in the near future
Ukraine Cases, Deaths Hit Record (1:55 p.m. HK)
Ukraine broke records in new Covid-19 cases and coronavirus-caused deaths, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said on Facebook. Covid-19 was confirmed for 19,893 people, while 433 patients died in the past 24 hours. The South African virus variant has been confirmed in two regions, Stepanov said.
Australia Reports Blood Clot Case (1:50 p.m. HK)
Australia reported one case of clotting disorders following inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine and will investigate, according to a joint statement by government agencies.
Earlier, Australia’s national broadcaster reported a 44-year-old man was admitted to a Melbourne hospital with serious thrombosis and a low platelet count, after receiving the Astra shot on or around March 22. The European Union’s drugs regulator said Thursday that a link between the vaccine and a rare type of blood clot known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is possible, while Canada has halted plans to roll out the shot for under-55s over similar concerns.
India Cases Hit Most Since October (1:20 p.m. HK)
India recorded 81,466 new virus cases, the highest daily total since the beginning of October, health ministry data showed Friday. Fatalities increased by 469. Although India is making progress in vaccination that’s helped bolster consumer sentiment, the rising infections are pushing down mobility -- tracked through road congestion and flight departure, according to Bloomberg Economics.
U.K. Politicians Vow to Oppose Covid Passports (12:05 p.m. HK)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson risks triggering a major backlash among members of the ruling Conservative Party if his U.K. government opts to use so-called Covid passports to help re-open the economy.
More than 70 members of Parliament from three parties -- including 41 from Johnson’s Tories -- pledged to oppose the use of vaccine certificates, calling them “divisive and discriminatory.” They include former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat Party leader Ed Davey.
A Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card at a vaccination centre in Cardiff, U.K., on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. The vaccine shots, created by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, have been made available to 50 hospital hubs around the country, before being distributed to doctor-run vaccination centers that will administer the jabs.
FDA Revises Moderna Authorization to Boost Doses (10:30 a.m. HK)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration made two revisions to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine’s emergency use authorization to help increase the number of vaccine doses available, according to a statement. The revisions clarify the number of doses per vial and authorize the availability of an additional multi-dose vial, the statement said.
Moderna said separately the FDA has authorized for the vaccine to be kept at room temperature for 24 hours once removed from the refrigerator for use, double the previous time.
Sinovac’s Covid Vaccine Capacity Hits 2 Billion Doses (9:40 a.m. HK)
Sinovac’s annual production capacity of its Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac has reached 2 billion doses with its third production line completed and put into production, according to a company statement. Sinovac’s vaccine has received emergency use approval, or conditional marketing authorization, in over 30 countries.
Laboratory technicians prepare vials of the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. coronavirus vaccine in Brazil.
Photographer: Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg
China to Vaccinate City After Outbreak (9:35 a.m. HK)
A border city in the southwestern Chinese province Yunnan will roll out vaccines Friday for all of its 300,000 residents, after it reported the country’s biggest flare-up in Covid-19 infections in more than a month, state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday night.
Ruili, which borders Myanmar, has been placed under lockdown amid citywide testing that has weeded out 46 infections, many of them asymptomatic. The vaccination will begin at 8 am local time Friday and is expected to complete in five days, CCTV reported, citing local officials.
Queensland Sees More Imported Cases (8:10 a.m. HK)
Eight new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours in the Australian state of Queensland. Its capital Brisbane entered a snap three-day lockdown on Monday due to an outbreak of the U.K. strain of the virus. None of the infections was locally acquired, state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a briefing Friday. Seven cases emerged in hotel quarantine and one is a historical infection contracted by a nurse who experienced no symptoms.
Fauci Says U.S. May Not Need AstraZeneca Shots (7:40 a.m. HK)
Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease official, said that the country may not need AstraZeneca’s vaccine even if it passes U.S. regulatory approval, Reuters reports, citing an interview. He said that it is still up in the air when asked whether the U.S. will use the AstraZeneca vaccine doses.
Fauci added that the country will have enough shots to fullfill needs given its contracts with a number of vaccine makers.
AstraZeneca Plc. Covid-19 vaccine.
Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg
Interstate Travel Likely for Vaccinated Malaysians (7:30 a.m. HK)
Malaysia’s government is considering allowing interstate travel for those who have completed their Covid-19 vaccinations, Star reports, citing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. International travel could soon be possible for those who had been vaccinated, he said.
More U.K. Blood Clot Cases Reported, FT Says (7:20 a.m. HK)
The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) received 25 new reports of rare blood clotting events that have been linked to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in recent weeks, the Financial Times reported, citing a report published on the regulator’s website.
Belgian Police and Party-Goers Clash (6:34 a.m. HK)
Belgian police and partiers in one of Brussels’ largest parks clashed after thousands gathered despite virus restrictions. The Associated Press reported that people in the park hurled bottles and other projectiles at the police, who used water cannon and tear gas against the crowd. At least 22 people were arrested, and several people and police horses were injured. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 have been rising in Belgium, which restricts outdoor gatherings to four people.
People clash with the police during an unauthorized festival called ‘La Boum’ in Brussels on April 1.
Photographer: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Ontario Locks Down (5:13 p.m. NY)
Ontario declared a four-week state of emergency after hitting a record for the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care, driven by virus strains that are more contagious and dangerous.
The order imposes restrictions on businesses and residents across the Canadian province of 14.7 million people, beginning April 3. Restaurants won’t be allowed to serve customers except for takeout and delivery orders; indoor public events are banned, with a few exceptions. Supermarkets and pharmacies will operate at 50% capacity and other retailers at 25%.
Florida Cases Jump (4:15 p.m. NY)
Florida’s department of health said Thursday that there were 6,895 new cases on March 31, the biggest daily increase since March 1. The positivity rate was flat at about 6.4% after reaching 7.6% earlier in the week.
States Warn on Fake Vaccine Proof (3:56 p.m. NY)
Attorneys general for most U.S. states warned Twitter, eBay and Shopify to take steps against the sale of fraudulent Covid-19 vaccine certificates on their sites.
“It has come to our attention that your platforms are being used to market and sell blank or fraudulently completed COVID vaccine cards bearing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo,” says the letter from the National Association of Attorneys General. “The use of your platforms to disseminate the deceptive marketing and sales of fake vaccine cards is a threat to residents of our states.”
The letter gave the companies until April 9 to respond with a plan to prevent such sales.
White House ‘Assured’ on J&J Supply (3:35 p.m. NY)
President Joe Biden’s administration is “assured” that Johnson & Johnson will meet its U.S. vaccine delivery targets despite a setback at a Baltimore site, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Psaki spoke Thursday at the White House after J&J and one of its subcontractors, Emergent BioSolutions Inc., acknowledged that a batch of drug substance had been spoiled. She said the U.S. doesn’t expect J&J to miss any delivery targets, and alluded to having some room with a larger supply of Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. The U.S. has said it will have enough vaccine doses for all American adults in May from those companies.
— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Corinne Gretler, Vincent Del Giudice, Tripp Baltz, Dhwani Pandya, Boris Groendahl, Lenka Ponikelska, Angelina Rascouet, Kateryna Choursina, and Iain Rogers
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