J&J Jab Cuts Risk by Half; U.S. Hits 75% Shot Goal: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine cut infection risk by about half in a trial of South Africa health workers. The study, which found that the vast majority of breakthrough infections were mild, included several weeks of a third wave of infections.

Three-quarters of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The country hit the 70% threshold in early August, four weeks past President Joe Biden’s target.

Israel is showing the world how evaluating progress against the virus is changing. Though the country has become a pandemic hot spot, the number of severe cases appears to have peaked.

Key Developments

• Global Tracker: Cases pass 221.1 million; deaths exceed 4.58 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 5.53 billion doses administered
• Israel’s Covid surge shows the world what’s coming next
• Overwhelmed morgues belie U.S. illusion of a defanged pandemic
• Covid is a regional pandemic in U.S.: Johns Hopkins (Video)
• How delta is bolstering the case for Covid boosters: QuickTake

U.S. Infection Rate Was Vastly Underestimated (3:57 p.m. NY)

The true number of U.S. infections at the end of 2020 was more than 100 million, just under a third of the population and far more than the 20 million previously reported, according to a study cited by the National Institutes of Health. Many cases were undetected because of limited testing and asymptomatic infections early in the pandemic.

The study, by researchers at Columbia University, used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how many people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which indicate past infections. The researchers calculated that just 11% of all cases were confirmed by a positive test result in March 2020.

Venezuela Receives First Vaccines From WHO (1:46 p.m. NY)

Venezuela received 693,600 Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccines, the first shipment purchased through Covax. The shots had been expected to arrive before August but had been delayed for undisclosed reasons. The country is due to receive a total of 12 million doses through the World Health Organization-sponsored program.

Myanmar Seeks 24 Million Doses by November (1:25 p.m. NY)

Myanmar’s junta said it wants to receive 10 million doses each in September and October and 4 million in November. The country targeted vaccinating half its population by year-end.

Boris Johnson Hikes Taxes to Offset Covid Costs (1:17 p.m. NY)

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the insurance payroll tax will rise 1.25 percentage points starting next year to help rescue the National Health Service from backlogs generated during the pandemic. A tax on dividends will also increase 1.25 percentage points.

All working adults, including those of state pension age, will be subject to the higher levies, which are expected to generate 36 billion pounds ($50 billion) over the next three years. The House of Commons is expected to vote on the tax package Wednesday.

Separately, about 80% of people age 16 and older have been vaccinated with both doses in Britain. Around 89% have received one dose. More than half of all 16- and 17-year-olds in England have received their first vaccine.

U.S. Hits 75% Mark for Adult Vaccination (12:43 p.m. NY)

Three-quarters of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The country hit the 70% threshold in early August, four weeks past President Joe Biden’s target.

The spread of the delta variant caused another surge of infections in the U.S. over the last month and accelerated vaccinations. But hesitancy among many Americans has left the U.S. well behind many other countries for inoculation. Biden plans on Thursday to address efforts to curb the pandemic.

J&J Shot Halves Health-Worker Infections  (11:59 a.m. NY)

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine cut the risk of getting infected by about half, according to a trial of almost half a million health workers in South Africa. The vast majority of the breakthrough infections were mild, the study’s co-leader said, citing unpublished data.

The Sisonke study included several weeks when South Africa was going through a third wave of coronavirus infections, spurred by the highly contagious delta variant.

Sweden to Lift Crowd Restrictions (10:17 a.m. NY)

Sweden plans to remove the cap on Sept. 29 on the number of people that are allowed to gather for public and private events, said Social Minister Lena Hallengren, citing the country’s successful vaccination campaign. The recommendation to work from home will be lifted as well. The government meanwhile is exploring how vaccination passes could be used at large events in case a cap needs to be re-introduced. 

Philippines Backtracks on Easing (7:37 a.m. NY)

Philippine authorities have deferred easing restrictions on public movement in the capital region, keeping the current curbs potentially through Sept. 15, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Metro Manila, an area that accounts for about a third of the Philippine economy, will remain under the second-toughest restrictions on movement. Restaurants are limited to take-away and delivery business, and beauty salons and spas are shut. 

Vaccinations Ebb in France (7:22 a.m. NY) 

The number of weekly vaccines administrated in France decreased to 2.5 million in the week starting Aug. 30 from 3 million in the two previous weeks, according to the health ministry. The decline reflects shrinking demand as more people get vaccinated, it said in a video conference with journalists. France has so far fully vaccinated 45.6 million people above the age of 11, the equivalent of 67.7% of its total population.

Morocco Plans Booster Shots: Report (6:51 a.m. NY)

The committee supervising Morocco’s response to the pandemic has endorsed a rollout of booster shots as early as this month, starting with health workers and other vulnerable groups, Casablanca-based Medias24 reported, citing committee member Said Afif. The spread of the delta variant among staff has disrupted hospitals’ ability to function, he said. 

Zimbabwe Says State Workers Must Get Vaccine (6 a.m. NY)

Zimbabwe’s government ordered state employees who are unwilling to be vaccinated to resign to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

“If you are now working for us, we are now saying get vaccinated,” Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said in an interview Tuesday with privately owned radio station ZiFM Stereo.

China Vaccines Approved for Phase III Trials (4:08 p.m. HK)

China has one mRNA and one DNA vaccine candidate approved for phase III trials overseas, with studies to be kicked off soon, said Zheng Zhongwei, a health official overseeing China’s Covid vaccine development, at a briefing in Beijing.

Candidates are being developed using everything from the virus DNA and parts of its proteins to viral vectors, while companies are also developing inoculations against variants, Zheng said.

Czech Republic Has Most Cases Since June (3:56 p.m. HK)

The Czech Republic reported 391 new cases, the highest daily figure since the beginning of June. Health Minister Adam Vojtech said social distancing measures will be scrapped when 75% of adults are vaccinated, up from 66% currently.

Hong Kong Moves to Reopen China Border (1:33 p.m. HK)

Hong Kong will start allowing visitors from China to skip the strict quarantine process required for most arrivals, a key first step toward reopening the border with the mainland and reviving a flow of visitors that’s long been crucial to the local economy.

The city will start a “Come2hk” travel program on Sept. 15 that will let up to 2,000 non-Hong Kong residents per day from the mainland and Macau visit the city, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday morning.

The government will also resume a program that allows residents to return from mainland China without quarantine starting Wednesday.

Qantas to Test New Routes (11:38 a.m. HK) 

Qantas Airways Ltd. is likely to fly to several new overseas destinations next year after pushing ahead with plans to resume international flights from December.

“We’ll probably try a lot of new routes internationally as certain borders open up,” Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said at a virtual business conference on Tuesday, without giving specifics. 

Slowing Cases in Australia’s Biggest State (10:47 a.m. HK)

The delta surge in Australia’s biggest state is showing signs of slowing after New South Wales recorded 1,220 new infections overnight, falling a third day to the lowest daily number in almost a week. Still, health authorities expect the increase in new infections to peak in mid-September, straining the state’s hospital resources.

Meantime, Victoria state recorded 246 new infections on Tuesday, equaling the previous day’s record as health authorities struggle to bring an outbreak of delta under control. Victoria’s seven-day case average has doubled since Sept. 2.

Singapore Won’t Rule Out Tighter Curbs (10:44 a.m. HK)

Singapore, one of the world’s most vaccinated countries, is taking new steps to slow a rampant increase in cases but can’t rule out returning to closing restaurants and restricting public life if serious infections continue to rise.

“We have to slow down the transmission rate,” said Lawrence Wong, finance minister and co-chair of the government’s virus taskforce. “We will attempt to do so without going back to another heightened alert. These are last-resort measures and we will try our best to refrain from using them, but we should not rule them out entirely.”

Japan to Buy Novavax Vaccine (10:37 a.m. HK)

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said the Japanese government agreed to buy 150 million doses of Novavax Inc.’s vaccine that it will manufacture in the nation subject to licensing and regulatory approval.

The Japanese drugmaker aims to start distribution of the vaccine in early 2022. Separately, the company said it’s working with the health ministry to investigate deaths reported after administration of Moderna vaccines, and that there’s no reason to believe that it poses a health hazard or safety risk.

Thailand Cases Lowest in Over Six Weeks (9:23 a.m. HK)

Thailand reported the least number of new cases since July 22, with the total coming to 13,821. The government is considering ending a state of emergency.

Indonesia’s Positivity Rate Drops to Record Low (9:10 a.m. HK)

The portion of tests that turn out positive in Indonesia has fallen to a record low, paving the way for the gradual lifting of movement restrictions. 

The positivity rate, an indicator of the prevalence of infection in a community, fell to 4.43% on Monday -- the first time in the pandemic that the nation has met the World Health Organization’s recommendation of below 5%. 

Indonesia has begun easing curbs for places including restaurants, shopping malls and tourist sites.

Third Death in Japan Amid Probes: NHK (7:41 a.m. HK)

Japan’s health ministry said that a man in his 40s died after receiving the Moderna vaccine from production lots that are being recalled due to possible contamination, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The cause of death hasn’t been determined. Moderna and its distributor in Japan, Takeda Pharmaceutical, said last week the recalled lots may be contaminated with stainless steel particles, but ruled out they were the cause of the earlier deaths of two men. 

Scientists Say New Variant Slows Spread (4:36 a.m. HK)

South African scientists said the so-called C.1.2 variant spread at a slower rate in August than in the prior month, suggesting it’s unlikely to become a dominant strain. The new variant accounted for just 1.5% of all virus samples sequenced in the country last month compared with 2.2% in July, according to the Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa.

The variant, first identified in South Africa, has been found in a number of countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Portugal, New Zealand and Switzerland.

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With assistance from Bloomberg