The World Health Organization announced a plan to name coronavirus variants using the Greek alphabet, aiming to make it easier for the general public to discuss them.
Germany cut its risk level to “high” from “very high” in a further sign that the pandemic is loosening its grip on Europe’s largest economy. Bank of America Corp. plans to bring all staff in Hong Kong and mainland China back to the office by the end of June, making it one of the first global lenders in the Asian financial hub to push for a full return.
Japan is still preparing to hold next month’s Olympics with some spectators present, even as experts warn it will be difficult to stage the games unless the pace of infections slows, according to media reports.
Key Developments:
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Germany Lowers Risk Level (5:47 p.m. HK)
Germany cut its risk level to “high” from “very high.” After raising it in December, the Robert Koch Institute -- the country’s public health authority -- is lowering it on Tuesday, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn. The move is a sign of reduced infections and fewer people with the virus in intensive care, he said.
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said she’s ready to allow Germany’s controversial lockdown law to lapse as infections ebb.
Receding Wave
Germany's coronavirus contagion rate is well below a key level
Source: Robert Koch Institute
HKMA Asks Banks for Lists of Staff to Get Shots (4 p.m. HK)
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is urging banks to introduce additional measures to encourage staff to get vaccinated, Deputy Chief Executive Arthur Yuen said in a circular to banks.
The companies should “strongly” encourage employees performing client-facing roles or critical support functions to get shots, it said. They should identify and draw up a list of designated staff expected to receive inoculation.
‘Revenge Spending’ in the U.K. (4 p.m. HK)
Visits to department stores on London’s Oxford Street and designer boutiques on Bond Street are increasing amid a global boom in so-called revenge spending, with shoppers deploying the cash they saved during lockdowns on new wardrobes, accessories and cappuccino pit-stops.
The Pret Index, based on exclusive data from U.K. sandwich chain Pret A Manger Ltd., shows that about three-quarters of the company’s business in London’s West End shopping district was back to pre-Covid 19 levels last week.
BofA Plans Return to Offices in H.K., China (3:25 p.m. HK)
Bank of America Corp. plans to bring all employees in Hong Kong and mainland China back to the office by the end of June, becoming one of the first global lenders in the Asian financial hub to push for a full return. The bank will issue a 30-day notice period as well as return-to-office training for all staff, according to an internal memo.
Taiwan Confirms 327 Local Cases (2 p.m. HK)
Taiwan had 262 newly confirmed domestic cases on Tuesday and added 65 local infections to previous tallies due to test result delays, according to a statement from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Taiwan is battling its worst outbreak of Covid-19, having made it through 2020 with few deaths or infections.
Vietnam Asks Covax to Speed Vaccine Delivery (13:05 p.m. HK)
Vietnam asked the World Health Organization-backed Covax facility to speed up its pledged vaccine delivery and increase supplies of vaccines to the country, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said during a teleconference with program representatives.
The country, whose containment of the coronavirus allowed the economy to continue growing all last year, is now facing a real challenge from a lack of vaccines, as coronavirus outbreaks hit key manufacturing hubs.
Guangzhou Airport Tightens Flights (12:05 p.m. HK)
Baiyuan Airport in south China’s Guangzhou city has seen almost half of inbound and outbound flights canceled as of 10 a.m. local time Tuesday, after a resurgence of Covid cases required local authorities to tighten travel restrictions, China News Service reports, citing data from the flight service app VariFlight. Starting Monday, authorities have asked those who want to leave the city to present a negative test result within 72 hours of their departure.
Guangdong province added 11 local confirmed Covid-19 infections and two asymptomatic cases on May 31, according to the latest report from China’s National Health Commission. The provincial capital has discovered more than 50 infections. The first case was reported on May 21, a 75-year-old woman with no travel history who was infected with the variant first detected in India.
Greek Alphabet Naming Scheme for Variants (9:50 a.m. HK)
The World Health Organization announced a new naming scheme for coronavirus variants using the Greek alphabet.
The scientific names used to date “can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting,” the organization said in a statement. “As a result, people often resort to calling variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatizing and discriminatory.”
The B.1.1.7 variant, the variant that emerged from the U.K., will be called Alpha, whereas the B.1.617 first detected in India will be referred to as Delta. The existing names will remain in use by scientists and in research, the WHO said.
Thailand Overturns Bangkok Plan to Ease Curbs (9:30 a.m. HK)
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force overturned Bangkok’s plan to relax restrictions on June 1 as the capital struggles to contain its worst wave of coronavirus infections. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had earlier said that businesses including beauty clinics, nail salons and spas would be allowed to reopen from Tuesday, but the national task force rescinded the announcement, and ordered an extension of the closures until at least June 14.
The country’s capital and largest city remains the epicenter of the current outbreak. Since the resurgence began in early April, infections have spread from Bangkok’s night-entertainment venues into the capital city’s crowded communities and construction-worker camps. Since April 1, a third of Thailand’s new cases have been reported in Bangkok.
Hong Kong Vaccine Bookings Jump (8:30 a.m. HK)
Total bookings for coronavirus vaccine appointments, which include first and second doses, surged to the highest in nearly two months after Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced a new campaign to boost the city’s sluggish inoculation rate by September. Measures include paid leave for vaccinated civil servants and possible additional restrictions for unvaccinated citizens.
Some 25,400 people reserved slots for BioNTech vaccinations on Monday, while another 12,300 booked appointments to receive Sinovac shots.
Some Japan Panel Experts Warn on Olympics (7:30 a.m. HK)
Some members of the Japanese government’s coronavirus expert panel warned that it would be “difficult” to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer if the capital’s virus situation remains at the highest of four levels, the Asahi newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, the first group of foreign athletes arrived in Japan on Tuesday for training ahead of the Games, Kyodo said. The Australian women’s softball team flew in to Narita airport, and are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the organizers of the Games are making preparations to hold the events with spectators, provided they present either a negative test result or vaccination certification, broadcaster TV Asahi said.
Commuters in face masks in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, on May 28.
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/Bloomberg
Calls for Vaccine Equity (7:10 a.m. HK)
The heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization called for a “stepped-up coordinated strategy, backed by new financing, to vaccinate the world,” in an editorial published in the Washington Post. The call, issued before the G-7 meeting next week, aims to boost vaccinations in developing countries.
EU’s New Plans on Quarantine Rules: Guardian (5:24 p.m. NY)
Brussels has proposed lifting all quarantine requirements starting July 1 for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid, the Guardian reports.
Starting Tuesday, the Guardian reports that a system will be in place to let European Union member states issue a digital Covid passport to citizens proving their status and allowing them to travel. A deadline will be set for July 1 for all 27 EU countries to accept the documentation as sufficient proof of vaccination.
Also, the Guardian reported that scientists are urging the U.K. government to speed up second doses of Covid vaccines and delay a decision on easing lockdown restrictions on 21 June in an effort to tackle the creeping spread of new cases.
Soccer Event Moved to Brazil (11:18 a.m. NY)
After violent street protests in Colombia and a raging pandemic in Argentina prompted the co-hosts of the Copa America soccer event to pull out, the premier South American soccer tournament will be played in Brazil.
Demonstrators clash with police during a protest in Bogota, Colombia, on May 28.
Photographer: Nathalia Angarita/Bloomberg
About 12 hours after Argentina announced that it wouldn’t host the event, CONMEBOL, the South American soccer association, said that it will move to Brazil.
“The oldest tournament of national teams in the world will make the entire continent shake,” CONMEBOL said on its official Twitter account.
Brazil, which has the third-most Covid-19 cases in the world, is clearly not a risk-free setting to host the matches. But the local soccer league kicked off its season last weekend without fans in the stands, and Brazil has few if any restrictions to enter the country beyond a negative PCR test.
— With assistance by Gearoid Reidy, Felix Tam, and Randy Thanthong-Knight
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