Truckers Mass in Ottawa; T-Mobile to Fire Unvaxxed: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

T-Mobile US Inc. will fire corporate employees who are not fully vaccinated by April 2, according to a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg News. 

U.S. weekly fatalities have reached their highest point in almost a year, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University and Bloomberg. 

A convoy of truckers and others who oppose vaccine mandates rolled into Ottawa, Canada for a weekend of rowdy protests that have become a rallying point for wider anger at Covid-19 restrictions. 

In Vienna, several thousand people attended protests against Austria’s looming vaccine mandate, even as restrictions for unvaccinated people are set to be relaxed. 

Key Developments: 

• Virus Tracker: Cases top 371.6 million; deaths pass 5.6 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 10.1 billion shots administered
• Coronavirus Daily: U.S. task force to focus on next threat
• UAE, Saudi top list of best places to be in an omicron world
• Airlines anxiously await road warrior return to office and air
• What we know about the omicron variant now: QuickTake

Trucker Protest Masses in Ottawa (4 p.m. NY)

A convoy of truckers and others who oppose vaccine mandates rolled into Ottawa, Canada for a weekend of rowdy protests that have become a rallying point for wider anger at Covid-19 restrictions. 

The initial motivation for the protest was a new rule requiring truckers to show proof of vaccination when entering Canada, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government implemented on Jan. 15. Until then, truckers had been allowed to cross the U.S.-Canada border with few restrictions. The U.S. imposed a similar mandate on Jan. 22.

Now the protest has become a catch-all movement against Covid restrictions, having been championed on prime time Fox News shows, Joe Rogan’s podcast and Elon Musk’s Twitter feed.

T-Mobile to Fire Unvaccinated Staff (2:41 p.m. NY)

T-Mobile US Inc. will fire corporate employees who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by April 2, according to a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg News. 

In the email to U.S. employees, the wireless carrier’s human resources chief also said that office employees who haven’t received the first dose of a vaccine by Feb. 21 will be placed on unpaid leave. The policy applies to all employees who need “regular or occasional” access to T-Mobile’s offices, which the company says includes almost all staff.

In a statement, T-Mobile confirmed its vaccination deadline for office staff.

N.Y. Health Workers Charged in Vaccine Scam (12:27 p.m. NY)

Two New York health-care workers have been charged with forging vaccine certificates and entering the information into the state’s vaccine database, Suffolk County Police said in a statement. 

Julie DeVuono and Marissa Urraro of Long Island charged $220 for adults and $85 for children for each false entry, the police said. 

Investigators found $900,000 in cash in DeVuono’s home and a ledger documenting more than $1.5 million in transactions over the last three months, CBS New York reported. 

GOP Governors to Follow D.C. Virus Rules (11:41 a.m. NY)

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said he and other elected officials have no objection to following local mask mandates and proof of vaccination requirements while in Washington, D.C.

Speaking at the National Governors Association’s winter meeting, the Republican governor said that while his state has “moved beyond mandates,” he had no problem with those imposed by D.C.’s local government.

“We respect each jurisdiction. I have my vaccination, I’ve got my card, I’ve been tested,” he said. “We are following local rules out of respect and, of course, that is a requirement.”

Hutchinson also noted that governors will be meeting with President Joe Biden over the weekend and that “it’s important that he is protected” from the coronavirus.

U.S. Weekly Fatalities Highest in Almost a Year (9:57 a.m. NY)

Even as U.S. infections slow, weekly deaths have climbed to their highest point in almost year, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The figures show fatalities reached almost 16,700 in the week that ended on Friday, the most since mid-February 2021 and the fourth straight weekly increase.

Weekly cases have fallen for two consecutive weeks, to 3.8 million, from a peak of 5.6 million two weeks ago, the data show, as the surge caused by the omicron variant has begun to ease in many parts of the U.S. Higher death tolls generally lag peak infections by several weeks.

Anti-Mandate Protesters March in Vienna (9:14 a.m. NY)

Several thousand people attended protests in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Saturday, the latest in a series of demonstrations organized by the far-right Freedom Party against the nation’s upcoming vaccine mandate. Police reported that 22 permits had been issued.

The government earlier announced a rollback in February of certain restrictions on shopping and eating out by unvaccinated people, but didn’t budge on its plan to make Covid inoculations compulsory, with fines for non-compliance due to start in mid-March.

Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig criticized the steps announced by the federal government, saying it was the “wrong time” to make changes with daily cases still running high.

Indonesia Cases Hit Five-Month High (7:07 a.m. NY)

Indonesia reported 11,588 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, the highest in five months due to the spread of the infectious omicron strain. The daily caseload could reach as high as 285,000, more than five times the peak notched during the delta outbreak in 2021, according to health authorities.

The government will weigh tightening curbs on movement should hospitals reach critical capacity. Patients filled 12% of beds dedicated for Covid-19 nationwide as of Friday, compared with just 2% at the start of the year. The bed occupancy rate is currently at 43% in Jakarta, the capital. 

China Cases Spread Ahead of Olympics (6:21 p.m. HK)

China is seeing flare-ups of the omicron variant ahead of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1 and the Winter Olympics, set for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing. The nation on Saturday reported 40 domestic Covid infections, including three asymptomatic cases.

Cases have spread in Tianjin over the past two days, after the northern port city looked poised to bring them under control. Hangzhou, an e-commerce hub in the east, has also seen infections grow. Omicron has spread to four other provinces, including Xinjiang in the west, government officials said at a briefing in Beijing on Saturday.

Health authorities are under pressure to stamp out the virus through aggressive tactics including mass testing, sweeping quarantines and lockdowns under China’s so-called Covid Zero strategy. Officials in the country’s major economic, political and tech hubs are more reluctant to resort to sweeping curbs, compared with the heavy-handed lockdowns enacted in smaller jurisdictions.

New Zealand Premier Self-Isolates (6:19 p.m. HK) 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has entered self-isolation after being deemed a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case, according to a statement from her office. The exposure occurred on Jan. 22 during a flight from Kerikeri to Auckland.

“The Prime Minister is asymptomatic and is feeling well,” according to the statement. She will be tested immediately on Sunday and will isolate until Tuesday.

U.K. Workers Resist Return to Office (5:36 p.m. HK)

Almost two out of five people working from home in the U.K. say they won’t return to the office, The Times reported, citing a YouGov survey. Just 9% of people have returned to their desks permanently since the government last week ended its advice to work from home, it said. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they prefer working remotely. 

Russia Reports Over 100,000 Cases for First Time (4:40 p.m. HK)

Russia reported a record 113,122 Covid-19 cases over the last day, marking the first time new infections hit six figures as the omicron variant sweeps through the country. Last year was the deadliest in Russia since World War II, according to official statistics published late Friday. 

Study Shows Hamster-to Human Covid Spread (4:19 p.m. HK) 

Hong Kong researchers have found evidence that pet hamsters can spread Covid-19 to people, and linked the animals to human infections in the city. The study, published Saturday in The Lancet as a preprint and not yet peer-reviewed, provided the first documented evidence of hamster-to-human transmission of the delta variant. 

Tokyo’s New Covid Cases Short of Record (3:45 p.m. HK)

New cases were at 17,433, down from 17,631 yesterday, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, while hospital bed occupancy rate for Covid climbed to 48% from 46.1%. Governor Yuriko Koike will consider asking the government to declare a state of emergency if the rate reaches 50%, Kyodo News reported earlier this month.

U.S. Urges China to Alter Diplomat Quarantine Rules (2:18 p.m. HK)

The Biden administration said it recommended changes to China’s requirements for Covid-19 quarantine and testing among American diplomats, adding to tensions between the world’s biggest economies ahead of the Olympics. 

“We have long-standing concerns regarding the PRC’s quarantine and testing policies that run counter to diplomatic privileges and immunities,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Thursday, referring to China’s formal name. The U.S. embassy in Beijing on Saturday didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular working hours.

Australia Sends Help to Solomon Islands (1:26 p.m. HK) 

Australia deployed an eight-person team to support the Solomon Islands’ response to the growing Covid-19 outbreak. The specialists arrived on a flight also carrying 37,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines. The team is due to report back to inform future Australian support in partnership with the government there. 

Romney Tests Positive, Isolates (8:44 a.m. HK) 

Senator Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, tested positive Friday for Covid-19, according to his office. 

“He is currently asymptomatic and will be isolating and working remotely for the recommended period of time,” his office said in a statement. “Mrs. Romney has tested negative. Both Senator and Mrs. Romney have been fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus.” 

South Korean Critical Cases Edge Lower (8:30 a.m. HK)

The number of people with Covid-19 in critical condition in South Korean hospitals slipped to 288, a two-week low, according to health authorities. Daily cases were at a record high of 17,542. Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency still expects the number of daily cases could reach 30,000 in February.

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With assistance from Bloomberg