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Delta Hospitalizes More U.S. Kids, Cuts Job Growth: Virus Update

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Delta Hospitalizes More U.S. Kids, Cuts Job Growth: Virus Update
Workers refill oxygen tanks. (Photographer: Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg)

Kids were much more likely to be hospitalized as the delta variant became widespread, two studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday found. But children did not appear to contract more serious illness, requiring intensive care, for example, than in previous viral surges.

President Joe Biden said the U.S. economy remains strong after a disappointing jobs report, blaming a retrenchment in hiring on the spread of the delta variant. His administration unveiled a $65 billion plan to prepare for future pandemics, likening the proposal to the Apollo mission to the moon. 

A U.K. government advisory panel declined to recommend rolling out Covid-19 shots to adolescents. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he plans to resign so he can devote the rest of his time in office to fighting the pandemic rather than seeking re-election. 

Key Developments

Delta Hospitalizes More U.S. Kids, Cuts Job Growth: Virus Update

Colorado School Outbreaks Double (4:20 p.m. NY)

Covid-19 outbreaks in Colorado schools more than doubled in a week to 42, the Denver Post reported, quoting official state data. New clusters also popped up at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, the newspaper said.

Alabama to Spend $12 Million for More Nurses (3:42 p.m. NY) 

Governor Kay Ivey designated $12.3 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to attract traveling nurses to help Alabama during its worst Covid-19 surge of the pandemic. 

“I’m pleased to see more folks getting vaccinated, but we are still in the thick of Covid-19 and our hospitals are overwhelmed,” the Republican governor said in a statement. 

Hospitalizations are almost as high as during the winter surge, state data show. “Alabama’s hospitals were already facing a nursing shortage prior to the pandemic, and after 18 months of grueling hours and emotionally draining work, the shortage has only worsened,” the Alabama Hospital Association said in a statement. Alabama has the slowest pace of vaccination in the U.S. after Mississippi and Idaho, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. 

White House Aims Against Future Pandemics (3:04 p.m. NY)

The Biden administration unveiled a $65 billion plan to prepare for future pandemics threats, likening the ambitious proposal to the Apollo mission to the moon. 

The proposal announced Friday by the White House Office of Science, Technology and Policy and National Security Council focuses on protecting the U.S. against potentially catastrophic biological threats, including those that are naturally occurring, accidental or deliberately set in motion by bad actors. 

“There’s a reasonable likelihood that another serious pandemic that could be worse than Covid-19 will occur soon, and possibly even within the next decade,” said Eric Lander, director of the Office of Science, Technology and Policy in a briefing with reporters. “For the first time in the nation’s history, we have the opportunity -- due to these kinds of advances in science and technology -- not just to refill stockpiles, but transform our capabilities.” 

Moderna Submits Review for Boosters (2:47 p.m. NY)

Moderna Inc. said it completed its submission to U.S. regulators for clearance of a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a closely watched federal review.

The company announced the news in a tweet Friday, two days after saying that it had filed initial data concerning the supplemental dose with the Food and Drug Administration. 

More Kids Hospitalized During Delta: CDC (1:15 p.m. NY)

Kids were much more likely to be hospitalized as the delta variant became widespread, two studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday found. But children did not appear to contract more serious illness, requiring intensive care, for example, than in previous viral surges.

The share of hospitalized young people who had indications of more serious illness remained similar to earlier in the year and in 2020, the studies found. Though vaccine access has opened up to more young people, children under age 12 don’t currently qualify for shots.

The research findings, which were previewed at a White House briefing on Thursday, come as many schools begin in-person reopenings this fall.

Illinois Cases Rebound (1:05 p.m. NY)

Illinois’s Covid-19 case counts are increasing again after a temporary slowdown in the growth rate last week. 

The weekly tally of new confirmed and probable cases rose 18% from last week to 30,319, according to data reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday. Cases recorded just for Friday reached 5,980, the highest since January.

The weekly number of deaths also remains elevated at 178, up from 174 a week earlier, according to the department.

Alberta to Delay Office Return (12:55 p.m. NY)

The Canadian province is expected to impose a liquor sales curfew and push back a return-to-office date for public servants, CBC News reported, citing multiple government and industry officials.

Unvaccinated people may also be asked to limit their social contacts, CBC said, adding that Alberta is also eying the return of a mask mandate.

Kansas, Oklahoma Raked by Delta (12:43 p.m. NY)

Covid-19 conditions were deadlier across Kansas in August 2021 than in August 2020, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports, citing state data showing 3.5 time as many deaths, 2.5 times as many new cases and nearly double the number of hospitalizations.

In neighboring Oklahoma, where the virus also raging, the state health department is receiving reports that it’s increasingly difficult to find rapid testing, the Oklahoman newspaper reported.

U.K. Panel Won’t Back Shots for Youths (11:28 a.m. NY)

A U.K. government advisory panel declined to recommend rolling out Covid-19 shots to adolescents, instead passing the decision to Britain’s chief medical officers. 

While the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said Friday that the benefit of vaccination for 12-to-15-year-olds was “marginally greater” than the potential known harms, it advised the government to ask the U.K.’s four chief medical officers to weigh in on the decision, taking into account the impact on schools and young people’s education.

Biden Pins Poor Jobs Growth on Delta (10:56 a.m. NY)

President Joe Biden said the U.S. economy remains strong after a disappointing jobs report, blaming a retrenchment in hiring on the spread of the delta variant of coronavirus.

“What we’re seeing is an economic recovery that’s durable and strong,” he said, crediting his own policies including a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill earlier this year.

The Labor Department reported earlier that U.S. hiring abruptly down-shifted in August with the smallest jobs gain in seven months. The increase in nonfarm payrolls fell far short of economists’ forecasts, with gains of just 235,000 jobs as the delta variant caused a resurgence in the U.S. pandemic and employers struggled with persistent hiring challenges. 

Boulder, Colorado Mandates Masks (10:43 a.m. NY)

Health officials in Boulder, Colorado, are once again requiring face masks in indoor public settings, from offices to restaurants and stores, to prevent spread of the delta variant.

Such a move can “preserve our healthcare system resources,” said Camille Rodriguez, executive director of Boulder County Public Health of the order that takes effect Friday evening for everyone 2 years and older regardless of vaccination status.

Wyoming and other neighboring states are facing hospital bed shortages. The main campus of the University of Colorado is located in Boulder.

KLM Cancels Flights to U.S (10:05 a.m. NY)

KLM is canceling proposed new flights from Amsterdam to Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas this winter after the Netherlands labeled the U.S. a “high-risk area” for coronavirus. 

KLM said the Dutch government’s decision was a “big step backwards” for the airline and noted in a company statement that other EU member states, such as Italy, France and Belgium are not putting a “triple lock on the door for travelers” from the U.S.

According to the new rules, vaccinated travelers from the U.S. who have tested negative for Covid-19 will have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the Netherlands.

Counterfeit Vaccine Cards Intercepted (9:57 a.m. NY)

Federal agents intercepted a shipment of counterfeit vaccine cards bound for Idaho, the Idaho Statesman reported. Meantime, Idaho’s hospitals are stretched and fear the worst is yet to come, the newspaper said.

“We are losing the Covid battle, and patients are dying unnecessarily,” said Steven Nemerson, chief clinical officer at Saint Alphonsus Health System. 

Denmark Widens Eligibility for Third Shot (7:29 a.m. NY)

Denmark will start offering a third shot to people at retirement facilities, the country’s health authority said on Friday. The Nordic country offered third shots to patients with chronic diseases some weeks ago. The government is currently considering whether to provide third shots to the broader population.

Meanwhile, White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on Thursday that three doses of Covid-19 vaccine may become the standard regimen for most people. 

Separately, new data from the U.K.’s Zoe Study suggest that those who are fully vaccinated have a lower risk of long-term symptoms and fewer near-term symptoms, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Sam Fazeli. 

South Africa Rules Out Compulsory Vaccination (6:14 p.m. HK)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa strongly encouraged all citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, but said the government won’t make it mandatory to do so.

His comments came a day after Mondli Gungubele, a minister in his office, said that the government is considering introducing a vaccine passport as part of a series of measures to help open up the economy. They also followed announcements by Discovery Ltd., South Africa’s largest medical-insurance administrator, and private school operator Curro Holdings Ltd. that they will compel their staff to get the shots.

Japan PM to Resign After Struggles With Virus (1:14 p.m. HK)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he plans to resign so he can devote the remainder of his time in office to fighting the pandemic rather than campaigning for re-election. 

The surprise decision comes just ahead of a vote for leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who’s virtually assured of becoming prime minister due to the party’s dominance in parliament. Suga’s approval ratings had plummeted as virus cases surged across Japan in the weeks after the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“Since I became prime minister a year ago, dealing with coronavirus has been at the center of my efforts,” Suga told reporters in a brief statement without taking questions. “Dealing with the virus while campaigning for the election would take a huge amount of energy. I realized I couldn’t do both and I should choose one.”

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With assistance from Bloomberg