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U.S. Delta Wave Ebbs; Walmart Workers Opt for Shot: Virus Update

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U.S. Delta Wave Ebbs; Walmart Workers Opt for Shot: Virus Update
Schoolchildren wait to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. (Photographer: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg)

The seven-day average of U.S. cases dropped below 100,000 for the first time since August, another sign the wave fueled by the delta variant is retreating. Some Wyoming hospitals have requested state guidance on potentially rationing care.

Walmart Inc. said “the overwhelming majority” of employees required to get vaccines have received the shots. Allstate Corp. plans to sell its headquarters building, marking the U.S. finance industry’s firmest endorsement yet of the desire to offer hybrid work

Iceland is joining its Nordic peers in halting inoculations with Moderna Inc.’s Spikevax shot on concern over side effects. 

Key Developments:

U.S. Delta Wave Ebbs; Walmart Workers Opt for Shot: Virus Update

Allstate to Sell Chicago Headquarters (3:55 p.m. NY)

Allstate Corp. plans to sell its headquarters building, marking the U.S. finance industry’s firmest endorsement yet of the desire to offer hybrid work after the pandemic. 

With many employees choosing to work remotely, the insurance giant will sell its offices in Northbrook, Illinois, according to an emailed statement Friday. The complex in a Chicago suburb has several buildings that total 1.9 million square feet on a 186-acre (75 hectares), Allstate has said in regulatory filings.

“Allstate’s employees have more choice about where they work and many are choosing to work from home,” said Tammy Kotula, a spokeswoman for Allstate. 

CDC Panel to Meet on Boosters, Kid Shots (1:19 p.m. NY)

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have scheduled two upcoming meetings. The first, on Oct. 20-21, will discuss Covid-19 vaccine boosters for Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. The second, on Nov. 2-3, will focus on pediatric Covid-19 vaccines.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices posted notice of the meeting on its website on Friday. The panel of outside experts advises the CDC on how best to administer new vaccines.

White House Covid-19 adviser Anthony Fauci has said he hopes a Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will come by Halloween.

Next week the FDA’s advisory panel will meet to discuss Moderna and J&J boosters

Walmart Employees Meet Vaccine Mandate (12:35 p.m. NY)

Walmart Inc. said “the overwhelming majority” of employees required to get vaccines have received the shots. 

A “very small percentage” of the U.S. headquarters and regional staff covered by the company mandate are partially inoculated or haven’t gotten the shots, Walmart said in an email without providing specific numbers. Employees who aren’t fully vaccinated can complete the process this month “while on a leave of absence,” the retail giant said. 

“We’ll look forward to having them return to work as soon as they are fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation,” Walmart said.

Russia Deaths Top 400,000 (12:25 p.m. NY)

Deaths in Russia linked to Covid-19 in August grew to 49,389, adding to a surge in fatalities that’s taken the overall total to nearly 420,000 since the start of the epidemic.

The number of deaths associated with the virus was more than double the 23,877 announced in daily reports by the government’s Covid-19 task force. The Federal Statistics Service, which published the data late Friday, also revised up the record-high total reported in July to 51,044.

Iceland Halts Moderna Shots (12:20 p.m. NY)

Iceland is joining its Nordic peers in halting inoculations with Moderna Inc.’s Spikevax shot on concern over side effects.

The Moderna shot, which has mostly been used in Iceland for second doses, won’t be used until more information over its safety has been collected, the chief epidemiologist said on Friday.

Sweden, Denmark and Finland have this week suspended the shots for younger people because of the risk of heart inflammation as a potential side effect. 

U.S. Daily Cases Fall Below 100,000 (11:25 a.m. NY)

The seven-day average of U.S. cases dropped below 100,000 for the first time since August, another sign the wave fueled by the delta variant is retreating. Infections are down about 42% from the peak of this wave.

The daily death toll is still high -- averaging 1,762 as of Thursday -- but at the lowest in almost a month. The average for infections was 99,804 as of Thursday, the lowest since Aug. 5, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.

More than 44 million Americans, or about 13% of the population, have contracted the virus so far, and more than 710,000 have perished. 

U.S. Delta Wave Ebbs; Walmart Workers Opt for Shot: Virus Update

Wyoming Hospitals Weigh Rationed Care (10:48 a.m. NY)

Some Wyoming hospitals have requested state guidance on potentially rationing care if need be, Alexia Harrist, state health officer, told the Casper Star-Tribune.

Hospitalizations overall have hovered around 200 for the past month in a state where the two largest hospitals each have just over 200 beds, the newspaper reported.

“One of our goals has always been ensuring that anyone who needs hospital care, whether it’s from Covid or from a heart attack or from a car accident, has access to that care,” Harrist said. 

Delta Pushes Venezuela to Record Cases (10:43 a.m. NY)

Venezuela’s weekly Covid-19 infections rose the most since the pandemic started as large gatherings and the slowest vaccine rollout in South America fuel the spread of the delta variant. 

New weekly cases surpassed 10,000 for the first time, according to government data, overwhelming hospitals and clinics and forcing infected patients to hunt for treatment. 

“The demons are unleashed regarding a third wave,” said Enrique Lopez-Loyo, president of the National Medicine Academy.

Romania to Send Patients Abroad (10:36 a.m. NY)

Romania is preparing to send Covid-19 patients abroad as its hospitals are overrun by the worst surge in infections since the pandemic erupted.

The country, where vaccinations trail only Bulgaria within the European Union, is in talks with neighboring Hungary and others to facilitate transfers under safe conditions, Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat said Friday.

Romania reported a new daily record of 357 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to a government statement on Friday.

U.K. Offers ‘Top-Up’ Doses to Trial Volunteers (7 a.m. NY)

Starting next week, vaccine clinical trial volunteers will be offered additional approved doses to ensure that they are able to travel to abroad, the U.K.’s Department of Health said.

While the U.K. recognizes participants in trials as fully vaccinated, many other countries do not, and require visitors to be inoculated with an approved vaccine.

Iran Cases Fall to Three-Month Low (6:57 a.m. NY)

New cases in Iran fell to a three-month low on Friday, signaling an easing of the worst outbreak of the virus in the Middle East.

The Health Ministry reported 9,897 new cases and 185 deaths.

Cases have been trending lower for the past month but never fell below 10,000 until now. The country’s vaccination drive has accelerated since it lifted a ban on western jabs in August.

Denmark Changes Tack on Child Moderna Shots (6:48 a.m. NY)

Denmark will offer the vaccine from Moderna Inc. to children under the age of 18 after all, the Danish Health Authority said, reversing a previous statement.

On Wednesday, the authority had announced it would stop offering the jab to those under that age, citing new data indicating an increased risk of heart inflammation.

Singapore PM to Address Nation on Covid (6:17 a.m. NY)

Singapore’s premier Lee Hsien Loong will address the nation on “the Covid-19 situation and the path to a new normal” in a live broadcast on Saturday Oct. 9 at noon. 

U.K. Launches Largest-Ever Flu Shot Drive (4:10 p.m. HK)

The U.K is mounting a drive to give 35 million people the flu shot as fears rise that respiratory illnesses will surge after months of lockdown lowered immunity levels. 

Extremely low flu infection rates when people were socially distanced means deaths could rise this winter, when Covid and influenza viruses will be circulating at the same time. This marks the largest flu vaccine program in the country’s history, the Department of Health said in a statement on Friday.

Vaccine Cash Incentives Pay Off, Sweden Finds (3:46 p.m.)

A Swedish study found that a modest $24 incentive increased vaccination rates, lending support to measures that aim to get more people to take Covid jabs by handing out cash.

The study, led by researchers at Lund University, found that the vaccination rate increased by 4% among participants who were offered 200 Swedish kronor, or $24, to get the jab. The effect was seen across all ages, genders and levels of education, Erik Wengstrom, a professor of economics at the University, said.

Singapore-South Korea Travel Corridor (3:27 p.m. HK)

Singapore and South Korea will open a travel corridor on Nov. 15 to allow quarantine-free visits for people who’ve been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. 

There will be no restrictions on the reason for travel or requirements for a controlled itinerary or sponsorship, Singapore’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement Friday. 

Italy to Reopen Nightclubs (3:05 p.m. HK)

Italy will allow nightclubs and dancing venues to reopen for the first time since 2020, as the country’s vaccine campaign pushes ahead.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet approved the reopening -- at reduced capacity of 50% indoors and 75% outdoors -- during a meeting Wednesday, according to a statement. Italy will also allow theaters and cinemas to operate at full capacity. The new measures come into effect on Oct. 11.

Latvian Premier Calls for State of Emergency (1:08 p.m. HK)

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins called for a three-month state of emergency to slow the spread of Covid-19 after a record high infection rate and rising numbers of hospitalized patients. 

Karins made the comments early Friday after a 10-hour meeting of the crisis-management council. Measures could include the mandatory vaccination of the public sector, and restricting most shopping to the vaccinated. Latvia recorded a record 1,752 new cases Thursday, with more than 700 in the hospital.

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With assistance from Bloomberg