Booster Backed for Teens; NYC Cases Yet to Peak: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- A booster shot of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds was recommended by advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Many U.S. hospitals expect admissions to rival or surpass previous records amid the explosive spread of the milder omicron variant. New York City hasn’t yet hit a peak in the omicron-fueled spike of infections, an official said. 

The music industry’s Grammy Awards show, scheduled for Jan. 31, was postponed for a second year. Ivy League universities Yale and Princeton said they would limit student travel and impose testing requirements.

Italy made vaccination compulsory for people over 50 and further reduced what the unvaccinated can do. Rio de Janeiro canceled its world-renowned Carnival street parties for the second straight year.

Key Developments: 

• Virus Tracker: Cases pass 296.1 million; deaths exceed 5.46 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.2 billion shots administered
• Israel becomes test case for fourth vaccine as cases hit record
• U.S. hospital staff shortages hit most in a year on Covid surge
• China’s locked down city thrown into chaos after Covid app crash
• France’s Macron says he wants to ‘p--- off’ the unvaccinated

Pfizer Booster for Teens Backed (5:15 p.m. NY)

U.S. public health advisers said vaccinated teens should get a Covid-19 booster shot from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, an important step in efforts to expand immunizations and keep schools open.

The panel of outside experts convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to 13 to 1 to recommend the booster shot for people ages 12 to 17 who received their second dose at least five months earlier. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has the final say on making the advice official. 

Omicron Threatens U.S. Hospitals (5:10 p.m. NY)

Though the omicron variant tends to be milder, it is spreading so explosively across the U.S. that many hospitals expect it to rival or surpass previous records for admitting Covid patients.

Hospitals are bracing for a continuous rise in Covid-related bed demand for the month ahead, according to models from several facilities around the country.

At Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, “Our all-time peak was 451 Covid patients in April of 2020,” said Robert Fogerty, who oversees the 1541-bed hospital’s capacity management. “I think we’re going to blow past that by next week.”

The good news, he and other hospital data experts said, is that compared with previous waves, omicron is landing far fewer people in intensive-care units, especially in regions where vaccination rates are high.

New York Omicron Peak Yet to Come (4:05 p.m. NY)

New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said Covid data suggests the city hasn’t yet hit a peak in the omicron-fueled spike of coronavirus cases in recent weeks. 

Cases and hospitalizations are still increasing and “I expect that will continue in the near term, meaning the next days to weeks,” Chokshi said in a Covid briefing on Wednesday.

He said the steepness of the curve appears to be falling, but that could be due to the changes of holiday testing patterns, when fewer people are getting tested. He said the impact of gatherings at New Years could still fuel another uptick and encouraged New Yorkers to continue getting booster doses and to continue to wear masks and social distance. 

Italy Mandates Vaccines for Over-50s (4 p.m. NY)

Italy made vaccination compulsory for people over 50 and further reduced what the unvaccinated can do in its latest bid to fight the surge in Covid-19 cases.

The decision came on the day that Italy’s new Covid cases rose to a record high of 189,109. Hospital and intensive care occupancy are also creeping up, even if they remain well below the peaks of 2020.

Grammy Awards Postponed for 2nd Year (3:02 p.m. NY)

The music industry’s Grammy Awards, scheduled for Jan. 31. has been postponed for a second year due to “uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant,” according to a joint statement from the Recording Academy and CBS.

The new date will be announced soon, the statement said.

South Africa Excess Deaths Decline (1 p.m. NY)

South African excess deaths fell for the first week in three, adding to evidence that the omicron-driven wave of coronavirus infections has been shorter and less severe than those caused by previous variants.

Excess deaths, a measure of the number of fatalities against a historical average, in the week to Dec. 26 fell to 3,016 from 3,087 the week earlier, the South African Medical Research Council said in a report on Wednesday. Official deaths due to Covid-19 declined to 425 from 428. The excess death decline was the first in three weeks.

“The number of estimated excess deaths has begun to decrease, consistent with the trend in the number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths,” the council said. “This observation is strongly supportive that a significant proportion of the current excess mortality being observed in South Africa is likely to be attributable to Covid-19.”

Finland Considers Remote Learning (12:40 p.m. NY)

Finland’s Health Ministry may start the school term in remote learning mode after the holiday break, broadcaster YLE reported.

A decision could be taken as soon as Friday, with schools due to reopen on Monday in many areas, YLE said, citing Kirsi Varhila, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 

Remote learning would allow officials to implement more systematic testing protocols at schools, Varhila said. She didn’t specify whether the plans would apply to kids of all ages.

The measures would include better masking and vaccination of students, Varhila told YLE.

Pfizer Booster for Young Teens in Spotlight (11:30 a.m. NY)

Immunization experts who advise the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Wednesday to discuss the use of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 booster shot for young teens.

As the omicron variant continues to drive a surge in Covid infections across the country, expanding access to boosters for teens ages 12 to 15 could help officials keep schools open. The CDC panel will vote on a recommendation for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot for the age group. 

Princeton, Yale Restrict Student Travel (11 a.m. NY)

Princeton University undergraduate students who have returned to the New Jersey school won’t be permitted to travel outside of Mercer County or Plainsboro Township for personal reasons, except in extraordinary circumstances. The rules go into effect Jan. 8 and will last through mid-Feburary.

“Our primary goal is to maintain in-person classroom instruction and co-curricular activities, including varsity athletics, while also supporting the physical and mental health of our community,” Dean of the College Jill Dolan and Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun, wrote to students.

When students return to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, they can expect a campus-wide quarantine until they show a negative test. The rule is expected to end Feb. 7. 

“If your arrival test is negative, you may move around campus, but avoid local businesses, restaurants, and bars, including outdoor drinking or dining,” Melanie Boyd, dean of student affairs, wrote to students.

Ireland Drops Test (9:41 a.m. NY)

Vaccinated people arriving into Ireland will no longer need a negative test. Arrivals with a valid digital Covid certificate or another proof of recent infection or vaccination will not require a test to enter the country. The decision reverses measures introduced a month ago to stem the spread of omicron, which is now dominant in the country. 

Czech Quarantine Cut (9:22 a.m. NY)

The Czech government shortened the quarantine period for Covid-positive people and their close contacts to five days starting next Tuesday, from 7-14 days. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the change was needed because the variant threatened to ground too many workers in key industries.

Starting Jan. 17, the administration has also expanded mandatory rapid testing at workplaces to fully vaccinated employees, and increased the frequency to twice per week.

Swiss Cases Reach Record (9:06 a.m. NY)

Switzerland reported a record 31,109 new cases on Wednesday, 10,000 more than the previous day, according to the Federal Office of Public Health. Hospital capacity remains manageable, despite the rate of infections having surged since the new year. Last Wednesday, 17,636 people tested positive.

Sweden Weighs Measures (8:30 a.m. NY)

Sweden may widen the use of vaccine certificates as the number of new infections hits records. The government has given the country’s Public Health Agency a mandate to require vaccine certificates at restaurants, shopping centers and other facilities from Jan. 12. The country of 10 million has seen omicron fuel an unprecedented spike in infections.

Rio Cancels Carnival Parades (8:50 a.m. NY)

Rio de Janeiro canceled its world-renowned Carnival street parades for the second consecutive year as a new wave of infections spread through the Brazilian city. 

Mayor Eduardo Paes announced Tuesday evening after meeting with health officials that a recent surge in Covid cases, likely related to the omicron variant, forced him to prohibit street celebrations, which attract hundreds of thousands of party-goers each year.

The official parade, where spectators watch from the stands, will go on.

U.K. Eases Testing Rules (8:42 a.m. NY)

Testing rules in England will be temporarily relaxed from Jan. 11, the U.K. government said, a move that will free up capacity as new cases remain at record levels.

People who test positive using rapid test kits will no longer need to take so-called PCR tests to confirm the result, the U.K. Health Security Agency said in a statement Wednesday. The suspension of the rules comes amid a high prevalence of the virus across the U.K., with over 218,000 cases reported on Tuesday.

Helsinki Test Delays Grow (6:42 a.m. NY)

Testing protocols have effectively broken down in Helsinki and its surrounding regions amid a surge in cases. Most people now wait three to four days for a test appointment, rendering track and trace efforts meaningless, Finland’s health authorities said. Meanwhile, half of all PCR tests are coming back positive in the capital area, where omicron accounts for about 90% of confirmed cases.

Djokovic Vaccine Row Escalates (6:17 a.m. NY)

Tennis star Novak Djokovic was challenged by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to prove why he can’t be vaccinated after a decision to exempt some Australian Open players from virus rules sparked criticism in host city Melbourne, which endured one of world’s longest lockdowns.

Djokovic, who has previously criticized vaccine mandates, is among a handful of competitors granted medical exemptions for the tournament, the first of the four annual Grand Slam events, which begins Jan. 17, according to organizers.

Morrison told reporters that Djokovic must “provide acceptable proof” when he arrives in Australia that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. “If that evidence is insufficient, then he won’t be treated any different to anyone else and he’ll be on the next plane home,” he said.

Singapore Requires Boosters (5:10 a.m. NY)

Singapore says booster shots will be required to maintain a person’s vaccination status, as the city-state prepares to tackle an expected omicron wave. 

From Feb. 14, those aged 18 years and above will be considered fully vaccinated for 270 days after their second jab and should get their booster from around five months later to maintain that status, the health ministry said.

Separately, Singapore will share its Covid statistics with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the U.S. embassy, after the CDC said it had insufficient data on the pandemic in the city-state and urged Americans to avoid traveling there. 

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