A World Health Organization team of scientists is beginning a long-delayed trip to China to study the origins of the virus. Portugal’s president tested positive for Covid-19 and is in isolation.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE raised their Covid-19 vaccine production target for this year to 2 billion shots. The previous production target was 1.3 billion doses.
Japan’s government is set to impost emergency declarations covering the prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reaffirmed his goal of doling out 1 million doses by the end of January.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 90 million; deaths surpass 1.94 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 29 million shots given worldwide
- U.S. Hot Spots: Northeast sees signs hospitalization pace easing
- Vaccine paranoia extends even to health-care workers
- U.K. ramps up vaccine rollout with hospitals under strain
Subscribe to adaily update on the virus fromBloomberg’s Prognosis teamhere. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.
Japan to Declare Emergency for Osaka (6:50 a.m. HK)
The Japanese government will declare a state of emergency for Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures as soon as Wednesday in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus, public broadcaster NHK reports, without attribution.
Aichi and Gifu governments will also ask the central government as soon as today to declare emergencies in the prefectures, according to the report.
Portugal’s President Tests Positive (6:45 a.m. HK)
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tested positive for Covid-19 late on Monday but has no symptoms of the virus.
Rebelo de Sousa, 72, will remain in self isolation and has canceled his agenda for the coming days, according to a statement posted on the presidency’s website. Portugal on Monday reported the biggest daily increase in deaths from the coronavirus since the start of the outbreak.
California Says Hospitalizations Are Easing (6 a.m. HK)
California’s virus hospitalizations are rising at a slower pace, offering a very cautious sign of optimism for the state’s deeply strained health-care system, Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday. The 6% rise in hospitalizations over 14 days is “among the smallest increases we’ve seen over a two-week period in some time,” he said at a briefing.
The slowdown may be the effect of stay-at-home orders or an early signal that holiday gatherings weren’t as bad as feared, Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said. Still, he warned that cases from Christmas and New Year’s are still being reported.
“I don’t want anyone to think we are out of the woods by any measure,” Ghaly said.
Intensive-care units are at surge capacity in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley and availability has fallen to 0.7% in the San Francisco Bay Area, which probably will lead to stay-at-home orders being extended in that region, Newsom said.
South Africa Tightens Up, to Buy More Shots (3:55 a.m. HK)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended a prohibition on alcohol sales, restricted cross-border travel and announced plans to buy millions of additional vaccines as hospitals struggle to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases.
The country will remain on virus alert level 3, and the alcohol ban that was introduced on Dec. 28 and was due to end on Jan. 15 will remain in place, Ramaphosa said in a nationally televised address. All land-border posts will be closed to most travelers until Feb. 15, public gatherings other than funerals won’t be allowed, and a nationwide curfew will be enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., he said.
U.S. Lawmaker Gets Covid, Blames Colleagues (3 a.m. HK)
U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat and lung-cancer survivor, has tested positive for Covid-19.
Watson Coleman, 75, of Ewing, believes she was exposed after sheltering with several maskless colleagues during last week’s storming of the U.S. Capitol, according to a statement from her office.
She said she received a positive rapid test Monday and is awaiting the results of PCR testing. She previously received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine when it was made available to all Congress members.
WHO Says Origin Studies to Begin in Wuhan (2:16 a.m. HK)
A World Health Organization team of scientists is commencing a long-delayed trip to China to engage in and review scientific research with Chinese counterparts on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. China said the team would arrivethis week.
“The studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing. Scientific evidence will be the basis for further long-term studies.
Last week, Tedros complained about China’s delay in granting visas to the team.
Separately, a WHO team is in China working with producers of the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines to assess compliance with international quality-manufacturing practices ahead of a potential emergency-use listing. WHO officials also said they’re confident the rollout in lower-income countries can begin in February, though added a lot depends on country readiness and companies supplying doses.
N.J. Using Honor System for Vaccines (2 a.m. HK)
New Jersey is relying on an honor system for residents getting vaccines, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.
“We are trusting the integrity of all of you to do the right thing in this regard and not ‘jump the line,”’ Persichilli said at a virus briefing.
Demand for the vaccine is greater than supply, she said. The state is vaccinating health-care workers in the 1A tier, police and fire personnel in 1B and residents and staff of the state’s high-risk congregant settings. New Jersey has administered 214,433 doses as of Jan. 11.
Poland Extends Lockdown Measures (12:42 a.m. HK)
Poland will extend coronavirus lockdown measures by nearly two weeks until the end of January to get a better grip on the pandemic as the country’s vaccination process begins in earnest.
Hotels, ski resorts, shopping malls, restaurants and bars will remain closed, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told a news conference on Monday. Elementary and high schools will continue to teach online after winter break ends on Jan. 18, except for grades 1-3, which are set to return to classrooms.
J&J to Submit South African Trial Data (12:30 a.m. HK)
Johnson & Johnson’s preliminary data from the South African arm of a phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial will be ready for submission to U.S. regulators by Jan. 21, according to the head of the country’s Medical Research Council.
The timing ties in with the U.S. drug giant’s statement that interim data from the late-stage trial it is conducting in a number of countries is expected by the end of this month. If the data show the one-dose vaccine to be safe and effective, J&J will approach U.S. regulators for an emergency use authorization in February, and “other health regulatory applications around the world will be made in parallel,” according to the company.
NYC Eyes 1 Million Doses by Month-End (12:06 a.m. HK)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reaffirmed his goal of doling out 1 million Covid-19 doses by the end of January. He said New York reached its goal of vaccinating 100,000 people last week and plans to administer 175,000 doses by the end of the week. He said 55,000 appointments have already been scheduled.
He also praised the state’s decision to expand the eligibility of people to get the vaccine, but said the hard work is just beginning — and that as the city ramps up vaccine delivery, the question then becomes whether the federal government and manufacturers are able to keep up.
A number of city officials criticized what they said was the confusing nature of vaccine appointments, particularly for older patients who struggle to use online scheduling systems. De Blasio said the city was opening up a telephone hot line for people to make appointments starting on Monday. He said New York currently has 160 sites and will be expanding sites and availability. If people show up without an appointment, he said people will be on hand to help them make a later appointment.
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Prognosis: CoronavirusWhat Allergic Vaccine Reactions Mean For You00:14:02ShareSubscribeCookie PolicySubscribe to Prognosis: CoronavirusKeep up to date by subscribing to this podcastShare What Allergic Vaccine Reactions Mean For YouShare this episode with your friendsCookie PolicyThis player is hosted by Megaphone, a podcast publishing platform. By using Megaphone’s player you are consenting to our use of cookies, which we use to improve user experience. Please refer to our privacy policy to learn more.
Portugal Reports Record Fatalities (10:47 p.m. HK)
Portugal on Monday reported the biggest daily increase in deaths from the coronavirus since the start of the outbreak. There were 122 new fatalities in a day, more than the previous record of 118 on Friday, taking the total to 7,925 deaths, according to government data.
The number of new coronavirus infections rose by 5,604 in a day compared with a record 10,176 new cases in a day reported on Friday.
Portugal may have to tighten restrictions on movement this week as it tries to contain the spread of the pandemic, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Thursday.
NYC Shot Sign-Up Process ‘Bewildering’ (10:20 p.m. HK)
New York City residents looking to getvaccines are confronting a “bewildering sign-up process” that is hindering plans to speed up inoculations, Comptroller Scott Stringer said on Twitter.
The city opened mass vaccination sites Sunday in Brooklyn and the Bronx, extended shots on Monday to people 75 and over, and encouraged everyone eligible to schedule an appointment. One of the sign-up websites has a multistep process to set up an account, another to make an appointment, and numerous questions or fields to be answered or filled in, Stringer said on Twitter.
Stringer is among a field of Democratic candidates competing to succeed Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Pfizer, BioNTech Boost Covid Vaccine Target (8:33 p.m. HK)
Pfizer and BioNTech raised their Covid-19 vaccine productiontarget for this year to 2 billion shots.
The partners have already committed more than half that capacity, BioNTech said in a presentation filed on Monday. A new production site in Marburg, Germany, expected to become operational by the end of February will be able to make as many as 750 million doses per year.
— With assistance by Dan Reichl, Henrique Almeida, Kara Wetzel, and Go Onomitsu
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