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U.S. health agencies lifted the pause on Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine, 10 days after urging providers to hold off on using the shot while they reviewed serious and rare cases of blood clots among several people who received it.
India reported its highest number of deaths and new cases on Saturday, as a devastating new wave of infections appears to have landed on its urban affluent. With more than 16 million cases in total, it is the second-worst affected nation globally, lagging only the U.S.
Hong Kong reported three local coronavirus cases on Saturday, one of which is untraceable and involves the N501Y mutant virus strain. The strain was first detected in South Africa. Tokyo reported 876 new coronavirus infections.
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Germany Reports Slowdown in Infections, Higher Incidence Rate (3:01 p.m. HK)
The pace of new infections in Germany slowed to 22,262 on Saturday, the lowest in four days, taking the total to 3.28 million. The seven-day incidence rate, a measure of new infections per 100,000 people, rose to 164.4, the highest in five days.
A total of 24.3 million Covid vaccine doses have now been administered in Germany, or around 30 doses per 100 people.
Hong Kong Finds New Local Case Involving Mutant Virus Strain (2:25 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong quarantined about 60 residents of the building where a person infected with the N501Y mutant virus strain resided.
About 25,200 people reserved slots for BioNTech SE vaccinations at community centers in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. Friday, while another 6,100 booked appointments to receive shots made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., the government said. Total bookings, which include first and second doses, more than doubled from 14,700 a day earlier.
The latest expansion of eligibility comes as the city wrestles with a highly transmissible virus variant that triggered a 14-day ban on flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Thailand Reports Second Straight Day of Record New Cases (2:08 p.m. HK)
Thailand reported 2,839 new infections on Saturday, the highest one-day jump since the pandemic began, taking the country’s total case count to 53,022. The country also said it’s given out a million doses of vaccine.
The Thai government plans 380 billion baht ($12 billion) of economic stimulus, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said in a televised national address on Friday evening. The funds will be used to stimulate local consumption and promote investment and economic activities, Prayuth said, without providing a timeline.
India Adds Record New Cases and Deaths in a Day (12:37 p.m. HK)
India reported a record 346,786 new infections on Saturday, bringing its total to 16.61 million. Deaths also rose by a record 2,624 to total 189,544.
Doctors Without Borders is restarting its emergency response amid the surging wave in Mumbai, the international medical aid group said in a statement on Friday.
Perth in Lockdown as Man Tests Positive After Quarantine (8:52 a.m. HK)
More than 2 million people in Perth and a neighboring region will have to stay home except for essential work, medical care, provisions or exercise, after a man who had been in quarantine tested positive.
Authorities are racing to contact and test people who may have been exposed to the man, who was released from 14 days of quarantine on April 17, flew to Melbourne four days later and tested positive on Friday.
“It is critically important to give our contact tracers and health teams the time they need to ensure community spread is limited,” Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan said.
The man was infected after the virus spread from an adjacent room, potentially through the ventilation system -- heightening concerns about the suitability of some hotels to isolate returned travelers.
Singapore Reports Two Covid-19 Cases That Had Been Vaccinated (8:38 a.m. HK)
Two of Singapore’s three local infection cases reported Friday had already received both doses of the vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health.
One of the cases was a 21-year-old Indian migrant worker living in a dormitory. Singapore has been discovering more virus cases in dormitories, the epicenter for the Covid-19 outbreak in the country last year, and has quarantined over a thousand workers.
U.S. Ends Pause on J&J’s Vaccine After Concern About Clots (6:53 a.m. HK)
U.S. health agencies lifted the pause on Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, 10 days after urging providers to hold off on using the shot while they reviewed serious and rare cases of blood clots among several people who received it.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that they found the shot was safe and effective at preventing Covid-19. They added that the chance of developing the rare blood-clot syndrome is very low, but that they will continue to investigate.
A total of 15 cases of blood clots out of about 8 million doses administered have been reported, a CDC representative told a group of advisers to the agency in a meeting Friday. Nearly 10 million doses of J&J’s vaccine across the U.S. are ready to be used, according to CDC data, but just how quickly they will find their way into people’s arms is unclear.
Argentina Reports Second Day of Record Deaths (6:27 a.m. HK)
Argentina reported 557 new deaths for a total of 61,176, according to the country’s evening report. It added 27,884 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 2.8 million.
Connecticut Governor Cites States That Lag (5:30 p.m. NY)
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont singled out two southern states that lag in vaccinations while praising residents in his state, where he said 60% of people older than 16 have received a first dose.
“I still continue to be confident that the vaccinations are making a difference,” Lamont said at a news briefing. “You compare that to Georgia and Alabama and those states, where it’s 30% of the people we’re seeing that have been vaccinated.”
“We’ve got to keep it going — and I say this in the context that supply is now more than demand in many places,” he said.
Andy Slavitt, President Joe Biden’s senior Covid adviser, earlier Friday listed Connecticut among eight states that have vaccinated “more than 60% of adults” with a first shot. The others are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont and Hawaii, he said.
Michigan to Require Vaccine for Dorm Students (4:27 p.m. NY)
The University of Michigan will require Covid-19 vaccinations for students who live on its Ann Arbor campus this fall, Associated Press reported.
Mark Schlissel, the university’s president, said shots will not be mandated for faculty, staff and other students “at this time,” but he strongly encouraged everyone to get vaccinated, the AP reported. The requirement will allow residence halls to operate safely at nearly normal capacity, he said, after there were more than 600 infections in dorms last fall despite a mask requirement and other restrictions.
J&J Supports ‘Enhanced Labeling’ on Clot Risks (2:15 p.m. NY)
Johnson & Johnson strongly supports enhanced labeling for its vaccine that details the risks of clotting and points clinicians toward information about how to respond to it, Joanne Waldstreicher, the company’s chief medical officer, told a meeting of U.S. vaccine advisers on Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory panel is reviewing evidence of blood clots to determine whether to end a 10-day U.S. pause for the J&J’s vaccine.
Apple Sets Up Vaccine Plan for Employees (1:50 p.m. NY)
Apple Inc. is working with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to help employees get vaccinated at the company’s offices, according to people with knowledge of the matter. That all Californians age 16 and older are now eligible is helping the effort.
Apple hasn’t publicly said when employees are expected to return to offices, though Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has told staff he anticipates many will start returning in June.
— With assistance by Aaron Clark
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April 24, 2021 at 06:00AM
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