Brazil Tops 5 Million Cases; Texas Bars May Open: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- France reported a record number of new cases and Italy’s infections spiked to the highest since April, as Europe grapples with a second wave of the coronavirus. Brazil’s confirmed cases of Covid-19 topped 5 million.

President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office despite being under treatment for the virus and remaining potentially contagious. Eli Lilly & Co. asked U.S. drug regulators to authorize emergency use of its experimental antibody therapy after data showed it reduced hospitalizations.

Brussels and Bucharest became the latest European capitals to impose restrictions on nightlife, following Berlin, Paris and Madrid. The Czech Republic emerged as the continent’s worst hot spot, with the most cases per capita over the last two weeks.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases pass 35.9 million; deaths top 1.05 million
• U.S. Hot Spots: White House cases coincide with brief capital spike
• Top U.S. officials in charge of vaccine wave caution flags
• Europe turns screws on nightlife as cities face virus spike
• Even mild Covid-19 cases can lead to symptoms for months
• Macron says more restrictions coming to stem outbreak in France

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.

Brazil Tops 5 Million Cases (5:10 p.m. NY)

Brazil reached 5 million confirmed infections as mishmash quarantine measures continue to fade. The Latin American country reported 31,553 new cases Wednesday, pushing the total to 5,000,694. Deaths rose by 734 to 148,228, according to data from the health ministry. The real toll is likely much higher, according to health experts, due to a widespread shortage of testing.

“I have no doubt that, even without overcoming the first wave, there will be a second wave in Brazil, unless there is government interference or people suddenly become more aware,” said Denise Garrett, epidemiologist and vice president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute.

Brazil ranks third in global cases, behind the U.S. and India, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Texas to Allow Bars to Open (5 p.m. NY)

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is allowing bars to open at 50% capacity if approved by a county judge. Other businesses, including movie theaters, zoos, theme parks and bowling alleys, can operate at 75% in counties with low virus hospitalizations starting Oct. 14.

“Even as more businesses have opened and students return to school, Texans have shown we can contain the spread of Covid-19,” the Republican governor said in a statement.

California Theme Parks to Stay Shut (4:30 p.m. NY)

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state’s theme parks have to remain closed for now, a stance that has put him at odds with park owners like Walt Disney Co. and some legislators.

“We don’t anticipate in the immediate term any of these larger theme parks opening until we see more stability in terms of the data,” Newsom said at a press briefing Wednesday.

California, home to the original Disneyland and Comcast Corp.’s Universal Studios, is among the last the states to reopen its theme parks. Disney said last week that it is laying off 28,000 U.S. employees, a move it said was “exacerbated” by the state’s shutdown.

Trump Back in Oval Office Despite Virus (4:12 p.m.)

President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday where he received briefings despite being under treatment for Covid-19 and remaining potentially contagious to others.

Trump’s doctor said earlier that he hadn’t experienced any symptoms of the disease in 24 hours. He was discharged from the hospital after three days of treatment on Monday.

France Reports Record New Cases (1:50 p.m. NY)

France reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, after the pace of infections picked up again since the weekend, following a lull last week.

New infections increased by 18,746, French health authorities reported. The seven-day rolling average of new infections, which smooths out daily variations, rose to 12,853, its highest level yet.

Italy Cases Spike to Highest Since April (11:45 a.m. NY)

Italy reported 3,678 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, above the previous seven-day average of 2,465 and the highest increase since April 16. Daily tests rose to a record 125,314, with a positivity rate of 2.9%, compared with 1.8% a week ago.

There were 31 Covid-19 related deaths, as patients in intensive care units rose by 18 to 337, still below the peak of about 4,000 in early April. Italy’s cabinet approved a measure decreeing that people must once again wear protective masks outdoors across the country, Ansa news wire reported.

Boston Schools Pause Reopening Plans (11:15 a.m. NY)

Boston Public Schools’ reopening plans were paused after the city’s Covid-19 positive test rate climbed over 4%, according to WCVB-TV.

Preschoolers and kindergartners were set to report to school the week of Oct. 15, but that will be pushed back to at least Oct. 22 WCVB-TV reported.

The district had started hybrid learning Monday for certain students.

Scotland Shuts Pubs in Two Biggest Cities (10:30 a.m. NY)

Scotland ordered pubs to close in the country’s two biggest cities as part of new measures to arrest a surge in coronavirus cases.

Tougher rules for the hospitality industry will take effect at 6 p.m. on Friday and last until Sunday Oct. 25, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. They are strictest in five regions where the worst outbreaks are taking place, including Greater Glasgow and Lothian, the area around Edinburgh. People there should also avoid public transportation, she said.

Patriots, Titans See More Covid Cases: NFL Network (8:48 a.m. NY)

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has tested positive for Covid-19, according to the NFL Network. The Patriots played the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 5 in a game that was pushed back from the previous day due to Patriots quarterback Cam Newton testing positive for the virus.

The National Football League opted to play the game rather than postponing it for later in the season, a move that drew criticism for potentially exposing more players to infection. The NFL Network also reported that two more Tennessee Titans players tested positive.

Lilly Seeks Emergency Authorization from FDA (8:48 a.m. NY)

The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant has approached the U.S. FDA for authorization of the treatment it’s developing with Canadian biotech AbCellera Biologics Inc., according to a statement Wednesday. It would allow high-risk patients recently diagnosed with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 to receive the therapy.

Antibody therapies from Lilly and Regeneron are coming on the horizon to add to treatments doctors are using to treat the Covid-19, which continues to spread around the world to millions of people. Lilly shares gained as much as 3.1% to $148.63 in early New York trading.

Iran Reports Highest Daily Deaths (6:59 a.m. NY)

Iran reported its deadliest day of the outbreak to date with 239 fatalities in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 27,658. Data show the virus is spreading rapidly in the Middle East’s worst-hit nation. Iran has had an average of 3,803 daily new cases in the past seven days, up significantly from an average of 1,942 cases per day in the first week of September.

WHO Chief Renews Plea Against Vaccine Nationalism (6:58 a.m. NY)

The WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on governments to ensure that when a vaccine arrives it’s administered to “some in all countries, rather than all people in some countries.”

“It’s natural that governments want to protect their own citizens first,” he said at a global security forum in Bratislava, Slovakia. “But once a vaccine is approved, production will be limited initially and we must decide who to prioritize. Vaccinating older people, those with underlying conditions and essential workers in all countries is the best way to suppress transmission everywhere.”

Restrictions Imposed in Bucharest (6:31 a.m. NY)

Romania is introducing restrictions in Bucharest on Wednesday for the first time since May after a record number of people in intensive-care units raised pressure on hospitals.

Indoor dining in Bucharest restaurants will be banned, theaters and cinemas closed, and authorities will intensify police controls to ensure social distancing rules are respected in markets, public transport and schools. New infections are mounting across eastern Europe, with Poland, Bulgaria and Slovenia registering record increases in cases.

Brussels Shuts Bars for a Month (6:22 a.m. NY)

Brussels ordered all bars in the 19 communes making up the capital region to close for one month starting tomorrow and introduced a ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces.

The Belgian capital region’s 14-day incidence rate has surpassed 500 per 100,000, according to the latest data. That makes it the second-hardest hit capital in Europe, behind Madrid and before Paris, government virologist Steven Van Gucht said at a briefing.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Bloomberg