Pfizer Child Vaccine Clears Hurdle; Irish Surge: Virus Update
Track the global Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination efforts here.
(Bloomberg) -- A panel of experts who advise the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization voted unanimously to back the vaccine for children made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The vote will help usher in a new era of the nation’s pandemic response.
Ireland reported the most new cases since January. Germany is moving toward offering boosters to virtually all who want them, according to a draft decision. Bulgaria and Romania reported record daily Covid-19 deaths. The Netherlands will once again be making face masks a requirement in public indoor spaces
Authorities in Beijing halted classes at 18 schools in one district after a teacher was infected with the coronavirus as the city sticks with a Covid Zero strategy days before a key Communist Party meeting.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases surpass 247 million; deaths top 5 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 7.1 billion shots given
- Kremlin politics are bad for Russia’s health
- Covid shots for kids will narrow racial vaccine gaps
- Ship queues worsen delays from Singapore to Piraeus
- Covid-19 Impact: Best of Bloomberg Intelligence
Colorado May Run Out of Hospital Beds (5:25 p.m. NY)
Colorado could come close to running out of hospital beds in late November or early December if infections accelerate, officials warned Tuesday.
An estimated 1,900 of the state’s roughly 2,000 beds could be occupied under a worst-case scenario, Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said during an online news briefing. At the current pace, hospitalizations are projected to peak at 1,500, Herlihy said.
An estimated 1-in-51 state residents are contagious, Governor Jared Polis said during the briefing, imploring Coloradoans to get vaccinated. Polis said the delta variant is “like a laser-guided missile.”
Dutch Reintroduce Mandatory Mask Rule (2:20 p.m. NY)
The Netherlands will once again be making face masks a requirement in public indoor spaces after a spike in cases saw the caretaker government reintroduce certain measures. “It won’t surprise anyone that we have a difficult message tonight,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a press conference in the Hague.
From Saturday, people in the Netherlands are expected to work from home half of the time, and the coronavirus entry pass will be required in more places such as sporting events and cinemas. Weekly positive cases jumped by 39% on Tuesday and coronavirus hospital admissions rose by around 30% week-on-week.
Ireland’s New Cases Rise to January Level (2:15 p.m. NY)
The number of new cases in Ireland rose above 3,000 for the first time since January, with 3,726 confirmed infections reported. 493 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized, of whom 90 are in intensive care, the Department of Health said on its website. The 14-day incidence rate is 695 per 100,000, an increase of 18% over last week.
U.K. Parliament Tightens Covid Rules (9:56 a.m. NY)
The U.K. Parliament tightened rules amid a surge in cases, with tours and banquets canceled for two weeks and MPs urged to wear masks.
Face coverings were made compulsory for staff, contractors and journalists last week, but members of Parliament cannot be ordered to do so. While most opposition MPs have worn masks in the Commons chamber in recent weeks, many Conservatives have not.
Germany Moves Toward Boosters for All (9:21 a.m. NY)
Germany is moving toward offering vaccine boosters to virtually all who want them, according to a draft decision for a meeting of state and federal health ministers this week.
The draft proposes recommending boosters for everyone over age 60, and allowing them for younger people who’ve been immunized at least six months prior based on a doctor’s appraisal. According to these criteria, some 10 million to 13 million people in Germany would already be eligible for a booster shot, the Health Ministry said.
Romania’s Deaths Surge to Record (8:59 a.m. NY)
Romania has reported a new record number of Covid deaths on Tuesday, with almost 600 fatalities being recorded in the past 24 hours.
An interim government dismissed the idea of a full lockdown to reduce the burden on hospitals. The head of the vaccination task force, Valeriu Gheorghita, urged citizens to get the shoots faster, because more than 90% of the people admitted to intensive care aren’t vaccinated. “It’s a tragedy that we’re losing en entire generation of seniors in a situation that could be very well prevented,” she said.
Pfizer Raises Forecast on Covid Shot (7:03 a.m. NY)
Pfizer Inc. raised its forecast for the year on the strength of its vaccine sales and projected 2022 revenue for the shot above analysts’ expectations.
Annual revenue from the shot developed with BioNTech SE will be $36 billion, up $2.5 billion from an earlier forecast, as the companies now have agreements to supply 2.3 billion doses in 2021.
Separately, a panel of experts who advise the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization are meeting Tuesday to discuss clearing the vaccine for kids.
Estonian Minister Quits Over Vaccination (6:14 a.m. HK)
Estonia’s Culture Minister Anneli Ott resigned after criticism from coalition partners that her incomplete vaccination schedule prevented her from attending public events tied to her role.
Ott, until recently the only unvaccinated Estonian government minister, told reporters on Tuesday that she had received her first dose and that she wasn’t against vaccines.
India Reports Lowest New Infections in Months (5 p.m. HK)
India reported 10,423 new infections on Tuesday -- the lowest one-day gain since mid-February -- as the country emerges from a virus wave that led to an unprecedented 400,000-plus cases a day in early May. The tally is now more than 34 million cases, the second-largest in the world, but an expanding vaccination effort is helping curb virus transmission.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
With assistance from Bloomberg