France Orders Curfews; Texas Hot Spots Strained: Virus Update
Track the latest developments in the global Covid-19 pandemic, here.
(Bloomberg) -- Europe’s leaders intensified efforts to stem a resurgent coronavirus outbreak. France imposed curfews in major cities, Ireland banned household visits and Germany put limits on bars and restaurants in hot spots. Italy and Portugal reported record new cases.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his effort to avoid “the misery” of another national shutdown. Northern Ireland plans to close schools, bars and restaurants.
Russian health authorities approved a Covid-19 vaccine created by a former biological weapons research laboratory for public use, marking the second time the Kremlin has bypassed accepted scientific protocol as it tries to field a defense against the pandemic. President Vladimir Putin seeks to play a role in battling the coronavirus, which has hit Russia hard.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases pass 38.3 million; deaths near 1.09 million
- U.S. Hot Spots: Covid’s deadly comeback spreads to 46 states
- Interview: FDA chief says trial halt about safety, not politics
- Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine study still on track, CEO says
- U.S. states face big challenges readying vaccine distribution
- How Do People Catch Covid-19? Here’s What Experts Say: QuickTake
Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.
Germany Imposes Limits in Hard-Hit Areas (5:15 p.m. NY)
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a series of piecemeal measures to contain a second wave of the pandemic in Germany, and cautioned that more would follow if the rise in virus infections didn’t stop in 10 days.
In hard-hit areas, bars and restaurants must shut down by 11 p.m., while gatherings will be limited to 100 people. The use of masks in public will be extended.
“Economically we can’t afford a second wave with the same consequences as we had in the spring,” Merkel said, mainly appealing to citizens to abide by hygiene and distancing rules and avoid groups. “What we do and don’t do in the coming days and weeks will be key to the question of how we make it through this pandemic.”
Texas Hot Spots Face Dwindling ICU Capacity (5 pm NY)
Intensive-care units in Texas’s hardest-hit cities and towns are filling up as a new wave of infections grips the second-biggest US state.
The El Paso area has just 10 ICU beds available after hospital admissions jumped by more than 80% in the past week, state and city data showed. In the other two hot spots around Lubbock and Amarillo, spare ICU capacity has dwindled to 27 beds -- to cover a region spread across 47 counties, according to the state health department.
Statewide, virus hospitalizations increased 17% in the past week to a six-week high of 4,131.
Governor Greg Abbott announced plans to have public and private schools begin testing students and staff on a voluntary basis within two weeks. The program will employ rapid antigen tests that will provide results within 15 minutes, Abbott said in a statement.
Ireland Bans Home Visits, Closes More Businesses (4:15 p.m. NY)
Ireland is introducing new measures to curb the spread of the virus, after daily cases increased at the fastest rate since April. All household visits will end, and a number of districts close to the border with Northern Ireland will move to a so-called Level 4 lockdown.
In addition to existing restrictions in those areas, including the closure of most bars and restaurants, most business and services deemed non-essential will shut, wedding guests will be limited to six and gyms will close.
Barron Trump Had Virus, Now Negative (4:10 p.m. NY)
President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron, tested positive for coronavirus while his parents recovered from Covid-19 but never showed symptoms of the disease, his mother said.
First Lady Melania Trump said in a post on the White House website on Wednesday that Barron Trump initially tested negative after his parents both contracted the virus.
“I couldn’t help but think ‘what about tomorrow or the next day?,” she wrote. “My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive. Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms.”
She added: “He has since tested negative.”
Slovenia Closes Schools, Curbs Gatherings (3:34 p.m. NY)
Slovenia ordered a nationwide shutdown of schools above fifth grade from Monday, as the alpine nation recorded 707 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, Premier Janez Jansa said at a press conference.
Further restrictions will apply for seven of the hardest-hit regions, including the capital Ljubljana, where the government will restrict public gatherings to 10 people, impose mandatory masks at most public spaces, and restrict some services and sporting events from Friday. Further details will be presented Thursday by relevant ministers.
Illinois Reports Most Deaths Since June (2:51 p.m. NY)
Illinois on Wednesday reported 2,862 coronavirus cases and 49 deaths, the most since June 24, according to the state’s department of public health website.The state’s seven-day positivity rate has climbed to 4.6%, up from 4.5% a day ago and 3.5% a week ago
LSU-Florida Football Game Postponed (2:30 p.m. NY)
This Saturday’s college football game between LSU and Florida has been postponed due to positive Covid-19 tests and the subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Florida football program, the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday. The game was tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12.
There are 18 positive virus cases among Florida players on scholarship, pushing the school below the required number of scholarship players needed to play the game.
France to Impose Curfews in Major Cities (2:05 p.m. NY)
French President Emmanuel Macron announced an evening curfew in the country’s biggest cities to stem the unrelenting spread of the coronavirus, as rising infections begin to fill up hospital beds.
“This virus is dangerous and serious for everyone,” Macron said during a televised interview on Wednesday night. “We are at a stage where we need to react.”
Greater Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse are among the areas affected by the curfew, which will last four weeks starting Saturday.
N.J. Sees Hospitalization Spike (2 p.m. NY)
In New Jersey, coronavirus is causing more instances of serious illness: Hospitals had 699 positive patients over the past 24 hours, a jump of 51 from the prior day and the highest total since Aug. 5. Of those, 168 were in intensive care and 58 were relying on ventilators, for numbers not seen since late July. The state reported 953 new cases and nine deaths. In all, 14,402 deaths in New Jersey have a lab-confirmed Covid-19 link, and 1,789 more are untested but probable.
Puerto Rico Cabinet Member Gets Virus (1:20 p.m. NY)
Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez is canceling her face-to-face meetings and other events this week after Health Secretary Lorenzo Gonzalez tested positive for Covid-19. Vazquez, who met with Gonzalez on Tuesday, said she is still testing negative for the virus but is canceling and postponing her events out of “an abundance of caution.”
Italy Reports Record New Cases (11:10 a.m. NY)
Italy on Wednesday reported a record number of new coronavirus cases, as the spread of the contagion surpassed levels reached at the peak of last spring’s outbreak.
New cases jumped to 7,332 from 5,901 on Tuesday, higher than the 6,557 infections at the peak of the pandemic on March 21. The spike at least partly reflects more thorough screening. Daily tests totaled 152,196, up from 112,544 the previous day and more than 9 times the March daily average of 15,752.
NYC Makes Progress in Hot Zones, Mayor Says (11 a.m. NY)
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said city health officials are making progress in reducing infection rates in areas of Brooklyn and Queens where coronavirus cases have been spiking recently.
“We’re seeing some leveling off in the city, some leveling off in the communities that are affected,” de Blasio said, referring to hot zones of elevated infection delineated by state health officials. “We need to see more progress obviously, but what we’re seeing overall in the indicators is that we are making some progress. We have to stop a second wave.”
The mayor didn’t give any data on the specific areas of elevated infection, but the number of new reported cases on a seven-day average fell to with 512 from 520, the daily percentage or residents testing positive dropped to 1.13% from 1.90% and the seven-day rolling average of positive tests decreased slightly to 1.46% from 1.48%.
At a separate briefing, Governor Andrew Cuomo said microclusters like the ones in the city are expected to continue for at least a year. And they could continue to go on for years unless 100% of the population is vaccinated, he said. Cuomo also threatened to withhold funding to schools and local governments in hot zones that don’t comply with the state’s shutdown orders.
Duterte Wants Soldiers Vaccinated First (10:45 a.m. NY)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants the poor, soldiers and police officers to receive the first shots of the coronavirus vaccine once available.
The Philippines, which has the most infections in Southeast Asia at nearly 347,000, has the funds to buy the vaccine, Duterte said.
Portugal Tightens Limits as Cases Hit Record (10:40 a.m. NY)
Portugal on Wednesday reported the biggest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak. There were 2,072 new cases in a day, more than the previous record of 1,646 announced on Saturday, and taking the total to 91,193. The number of patients in intensive-care units rose by 3 to 135, a level that’s half of the peak reached in April.
Portugal is tightening the limit on gatherings in public areas to five people from 10, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Wednesday.
Record Number of U.S. Corporate Giants Lost Money (9:40 a.m. NY)
Never before have this many large, public companies trading in the U.S. been unprofitable. Forty-three of the 345 companies with a market valuation above $25 billion have posted cumulative losses over the trailing 12 months worth of reported results, according to an analysis of Bloomberg data.
At the start of 2020, only 14 companies fit the bill. The list reflects not only the difficult operating environment that is crushing business at bellwethers like Walt Disney Co., it also shows how stay-at-home trends have helped some companies surge into the stock market’s big leagues before turning a consistent profit.
Swiss Officials Impose Measures (8:31 a.m. NY)
Authorities in Switzerland responded to a surge in infections by broadening rules on mask-wearing and imposing other restrictions. In Geneva, public gatherings of more than 15 people will be forbidden, while private events are capped at 100 participants and school trips canceled. In Zurich, masks will be required for any group of more than 30 indoors. Masks will become mandatory in bars and discos.
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Guy Parmelin became the first of Switzerland’s seven-member federal government to go into quarantine after coming into contact with a staffer last week who later tested positive. Parmelin has no symptoms and tested negative, a government spokesman said.
Dutch Daily Cases Exceed 7,000 (8:30 a.m. NY)
An additional 7,305 new Covid-19 patients were reported in the past 24 hours, slightly below the previous day, Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the country’s health agency. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who today has held that job for 10 years leading three coalition cabinets, announced stricter measures on Tuesday evening, including a ban on the sale of alcohol after 8 p.m.
Poor Swabbing Technique May Skew Covid Tests (7:10 a.m. NY)
Many Covid-19 infections could be missed through poor technique when patients are being swabbed for a test, new research from one hospital suggests.
A team of researchers at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin decided to test the quality of swabbing, which is used to collect samples for lab analysis. They assessed the technique of 229 staff members at the hospital and found it was poor, with a success rate of only about 38% for nasal samples, according to a study writeup in the Irish Times.
Northern Ireland to Close Schools, Bars (6:25 a.m. NY)
Northern Ireland will introduce some of the harshest measures in Europe, including the closure of schools, bars and restaurants, to curb the coronavirus.
The U.K. region’s power-sharing executive signed off on the measures, most of which will run for a month, on Wednesday against a backdrop on surging cases. Northern Ireland’s seven-day incidence rate has jumped to 334 per 100,000 people from 228.
Iran Opts for Travel Ban (6:16 a.m. NY)
Iran announced a travel ban to and from five major cities, including the capital Tehran, over an extended holiday weekend as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus, the state TV reported, citing Health Minister Saeed Namaki. The restriction, coming into effect Thursday, comes amid a record spike in the country’s coronavirus fatalities and new cases.
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