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Thailand’s outbreak showed little sign of slowing as the country reported one of its highest daily caseloads. Australia’s Victoria state reported just five new local infections at the start of a week-long lockdown. Senior bankers can now skip Hong Kong’s three-week quarantine.
The U.S. is taking a “very close look” at vaccine passports for international travel, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said. New York City passed a milestone after the seven-day average for positive coronavirus tests fell below 1% for the first time this year.
The World Health Organization is finalizing its assessment of China’s Sinovac shot. European regulators cleared Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s vaccine for children aged 12 and up. The U.K. approved a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 169.1 million; deaths exceed 3.5 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 1.81 billion doses have been given
- India pandemic worsens one of the worst gender gaps
- Brazil let 70 million shots get away and sealed its fate
- Get vaccinated in Hong Kong, win $1.4 million new apartment
- Where are we in hunting for the virus’s origin?: QuickTake
Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Type CVID <GO> on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.
Thai Cases Among Highest Daily Totals (9:10 a.m. HK)
Thailand reported 4,803 new infections, among the country’s highest daily caseloads during the pandemic, and 34 deaths as the latest outbreak showed few signs of slowing.
Of the daily total, 2,702 infections were from people in prisons, the government said Saturday. New daily cases in Thailand reached a record 9,635 -- most of them from prison clusters -- earlier this month.
Brazil to Tighten Entry for Foreigners (8:01 a.m. HK)
Brazil’s government is reviewing exceptional and temporary restrictions on the entry of foreigners into the country to curb the spread of Covid-19 and its new variants.
A decision, based on technical guidance provided by local health regulator Anvisa, will be published in an extra edition of the official gazette this Friday.
Victoria Reports 5 New Cases (7:19 a.m. HK)
Australia’s Victoria state reported 5 new locally acquired cases and 2 new infections from overseas. The number of active coronavirus cases stands at 45, the Victorian government said on Twitter Saturday.
The state entered a seven-day lockdown Friday to tackle a small but growing cluster of infections.
A passenger waits at a tram stop during a lockdown in Melbourne on May 28.
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg
Paralympics Chief Confident About Tokyo Protections (7 a.m. HK)
The head of the International Paralympic Committee said he’s satisfied with the precautions being taken to protect athletes at the Tokyo Games, as concerns mount over whether the event can be held safely during the pandemic.
“We would not be organizing the games if we believed they could cause a big spread of the virus,” Andrew Parsons, chief of the group, said in an interview. “I’m confident with the level of protection.”
CureVac Trial to Continue After Safety Analysis (4:30 p.m. NY)
CureVac NV said a late-stage trial of its Covid-19 vaccine will continue after passing its first interim safety analysis. The study has recorded 59 confirmed Covid cases, the company said. The trial of about 40,000 people in 10 countries will continue to collect data to conduct a statistically significant analysis of the vaccine’s efficacy. CureVac is developing an mRNA vaccine that’s given in two doses.
N.Y. Expands Lottery Incentives (4:19 p.m. NY)
Governor Andrew Cuomo chose an additional 10 sites where people who get a vaccine will also get a scratch-off lottery ticket with a maximum prize of $5 million. New York is one of several states, including Ohio, Maryland and Oregon, offering lottery winnings as a vaccine incentive.
People gather at Washington Square Park in New York on May 22.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
Netherlands, Ireland Ease Further (1:52 p.m. NY)
The Netherlands is speeding up its reopening plan as cases and hospital admissions continue to fall. Museums, theaters and cinemas can reopen from June 5, four days earlier than planned, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a press briefing in the Hague on Friday.
The Dutch government announced on Thursday it plans to spend an additional six billion euros on aid for companies impacted by the pandemic, bringing the total amount earmarked for businesses to 80 billion euros.
Customers at the canal side seating of restaurants in Amsterdam earlier on April 28.
Photographer: Peter Boer/Bloomberg
Ireland will continue easing virus restrictions next month, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said. Hotels can reopen from June 2 as scheduled while outdoor dining can resume on June 7. Cinemas and theaters will reopen and as many as 200 people will be able to attend outdoor events. Ireland will adopt use of the EU digital travel certificate from July 19 and “broadly” follow EU rules for travel from Great Britain and the U.S., effectively allowing international travel to resume.
Sinovac Assessment Due Next Week (1:06 p.m. NY)
The World Health Organization is finalizing its assessment of China’s Sinovac shot after it asked for further clarifications on the data provided, according to Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for drug access, vaccines and pharmaceuticals. The expert group will meet June 1 for a decision, Simao said.
The WHO approved China’s Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use earlier this month.
NYC Positive Tests Fall Below 1% (11:56 a.m. NY)
New York City passed a milestone in the outbreak’s easing, as the seven-day average for positive tests fell below 1% for the first time this year. “All of our #COVID19 milestones are trending in the right direction, and this makes me hopeful,” Health Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi tweeted on Friday morning.
The statewide positive test rate, also averaged over seven days, has fallen to 0.76%, the lowest since Aug. 29, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Friday. That’s one of the lowest in the U.S.
U.K. Cases Continue to Accelerate (11:23 a.m. NY)
The U.K. reported 4,182 more cases on May 28, the first time the reported figure has been over 4,000 since April 1, government data show.
On Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the plan to end England’s pandemic restrictions on June 21 is hanging “in the balance,” with the more-transmissible virus variant first found in India now making up as many as three-quarters of all new cases.
Workers stand outside a mobile Covid-19 testing unit in Bedford, U.K., on May 24.
Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
U.S. ‘Looking’ at Vaccine Passports (11:18 a.m. NY)
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in an interview with ABC that the U.S. is taking a “very close look” at vaccine passports for international travel.
The White House has regularly dismissed any suggestion that it would create some federal document certifying vaccination status. Liza Acevedo, a spokesperson for the department, said later that Mayorkas was referring to work already underway to make sure “all U.S. travelers will be able to easily meet any anticipated foreign country entry requirements.”
EU Clears Pfizer for Young Teens (10:40 a.m. NY)
European regulators cleared Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s vaccine for children ages 12 and up, preparing the way for the mass vaccination of younger teenagers across the continent.
The European Medicines Agency is expanding authorization of the shot, which is already cleared for people as young as 16, it said in a statement.
Hong Kong Eases Quarantine for Finance Execs (9:52 a.m. NY)
Senior executives at Hong Kong licensed firms are exempt from mandatory quarantine rules in the city, the Securities and Futures Commission said Friday.
A worker wearing personal protective equipment at the Hong Kong International Airport earlier in February.
Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg
Relaxed rules apply to senior staff who are vaccinated and also extends to staff members at affiliates of Hong Kong licensed firms, according to statement.
Malaysia Announces Lockdown (8:32 a.m. NY)
The Malaysian government announced a two-week nationwide lockdown, which will begin June 1 as cases continued to breach daily records.
Only essential economic and services sectors will be allowed to operate, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Friday. The government will consider aid packages for companies and people affected by the lockdown, which will last till June 14.
Police officers at a border checkpoint between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state during a nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, on May 25.
Photographer: Samsul Said/Bloomberg
U.K. Approves J&J Vaccine (7:48 a.m. NY)
The U.K. cleared a vaccine for use from Johnson & Johnson, the first single-dose shot to be authorized in Britain.
The country’s drug regulator gave the green light for the vaccine, the Department of Health and Social Care said Friday in a statement. The authorization gives Britain a fourth shot in its arsenal, though its use may be initially limited given more than half the population has already received one vaccine dose.
— With assistance by Angus Whitley
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