New York Cracks Down on Hot Spots as Cases Surge: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he plans to close non-essential businesses and both public and private schools in nine areas of New York City. Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state -- the early, deadly center of the U.S. outbreak -- will take over direct enforcement in 20 hot spots that are driving infections to their highest point since the lockdown.

As infections spike, the French government plans to shut down bars in the Paris region, Agence France reported. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a “very tough” winter but said significant progress on a coronavirus vaccine is possible by December.

Donald Trump’s physician admitted to giving a misleading statement about the president receiving oxygen, the latest in a series of contradictory and confusing accounts about Trump’s coronavirus infection. New U.S. cases rose 47,827, more than the previous week’s daily average increase.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases pass 34.9 million; deaths exceed 1.03 million
• Trump’s V.I.P. medical care could do more harm than good
• Trump tempted fate long before Rose Garden coronavirus cluster
• Spain’s toxic politics and health crisis have got Merkel worried
• Trump deflects from health status as hospital stay continues
• Results of Covid-19 tests for U.S. politicians, officials: List
• Markets were already braced for chaos -- and then came the diagnosis

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.

U.K. Cases Soar After Reporting Issue (4:56 p.m. NY)

The U.K. reported almost 23,000 new cases, a number it called “artificially high” after a reporting error that has since been resolved. It recorded 22,961 cases on Sunday evening, almost twice Saturday’s tally and four times as many as Friday.

“An issue was identified overnight on Friday 2 October in the automated process that transfers positive cases data” to Public Health England. Figures for this weekend include 15,841 additional cases with specimen dates between Sept. 25 Oct. 2, the government said on its website.

More than 200 at Trump Fundraiser in New Jersey (4:49 p.m. NY)

At least 206 people attended events with President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, before he announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state and local officials.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Somerset County Department of Health said in an e-mailed statement that they received information on the attendees from the management of Trump National Golf Course and the White House.

The state health department has informed all of the attendees of possible exposure and recommended that they monitor themselves for symptoms and quarantine if they were in close contact with the president and his staff.

Somerset County health officials also are interviewing staff members of the club, the majority of whom reside locally. The state’s contact tracing is ongoing. The federal government also is tracing contacts, according to a statement from the county.

France to Close Paris Bars as Covid-19 Cases Spike, AFP Says (4:46 p.m. NY)

The French government is planning to shut down bars in the Paris region and impose other new restrictions in the area as the country struggles to contain a spike of new coronavirus cases and avoid a second nationwide lockdown, according to Agence France Presse.

Paris and its inner suburbs will be declared a maximum alert zone on Monday, then the measures will go into effect Tuesday to last 15 days, AFP reported late on Sunday, citing a statement from France’s Prime Minister’s Office.

Trump Doctor Sows Confusion With Reversals on President’s Vitals (4 p.m. NY)

President Trump’s physician admitted to giving a misleading statement about the president receiving oxygen, the latest in a series of contradictory and confusing accounts about Trump’s coronavirus infection.

White House physician Sean Conley told reporters Sunday that Trump had received supplemental oxygen on Friday, after saying the previous day that the president hadn’t been treated with oxygen on Friday. He said he gave the misleading information initially to “reflect the upbeat attitude” of Trump and his doctors.

Sunday’s briefing also included a series of inconsistent or misleading responses that appeared intended to serve Trump’s desire to reassure Americans, but instead left the country with an incomplete snapshot of his health. Even as their statements left doubt about the president’s condition, the doctors on Sunday insisted that Trump is doing well and could be discharged as soon as Monday.

They also announced he was on a new drug, while remaining evasive about whether he received supplemental oxygen on Saturday and declining to detail any damage to his lungs.

Ireland Health Officials Push for Strictest Lockdown (3:46 p.m. NY)

Ireland should move to a level 5 lockdown, national health authorities have recommended, broadcaster RTE reported Sunday. That’s the highest level of shutdown, with most stores closed, household visits banned and limits placed on how far people can leave their homes. Most of the country is now at level 2, with Dublin at Level 3.

The government is set to consider the recommendation in coming days.

France Cases Slow (3:10 p.m. NY)

France reported a decease in new cases, 12,565 on Sunday from a record 16,972 the day before. France reported 32 additional deaths, for a total of 32,230. The country’s government is expected to announce by Monday whether it will move ahead with stricter Covid-19 measures in various cities. Paris faces the possibility of having to shut down bars and restaurants again.

Teachers’ Union Praises NYC Mayor on Closing Schools (2:41 p.m. NY)

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew praised Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to shut down schools in nine areas of New York City where infections have risen steeply. In recent weeks, teachers, administrators and staff have raised strong concerns about the overall safety of opening the city’s schools.

“This is the right decision, one that helps protect our schools, our neighborhoods, and ultimately our city,” he said in a statement.

De Blasio’s proposal must be approved by the state.

California Cases Rise (2:36 p.m. NY)

California added 4,293 new cases, bringing the total to 823,729 -- exceeding the 14-day average of 3,238. The state reported 46 new deaths, bringing the total to 16,120.

Governor Gavin Newsom raised concerns in a tweet Saturday evening that a flu outbreak, along with the coronavirus crisis, could drain the state’s medical resources. A total of 3,129 patients were hospitalized, with the 14-day rolling average at one of the lowest levels since it started tracking the data for the state’s Covid-19 cases.

Schumer Says It’s Unsafe to Hold Supreme Court Senate Hearings (2:22 p.m. NY)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it won’t be safe for the Senate to move ahead with Supreme Court hearings for Amy Coney Barrett given the virus outbreak that has sickened three Republican senators.

While acknowledging that Democrats can’t block the hearings, he said they plan to use “every tool in the toolbox” to try to delay a final confirmation vote for President Donald Trump’s nominee.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the hearings would go forward as scheduled Oct. 12 and senators could attend remotely. Two members of the committee — Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — have tested positive for Covid-19, as well as a third Republican, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

Trump Doctors Add Steroid That’s Used in More Severe Patients (2:03 p.m. NY)

President Trump’s doctors added a steroid called dexamethasone to his treatment, a drug that’s typically used in more severe Covid-19 patients.

Dexamethasone can control the inflammatory and immune effects of the virus. Considered a potential breakthrough for patients whose Covid-19 cases have gotten significantly worse, one study found that it helped significantly reduce the likelihood of death in those who need oxygen support or are on a ventilator.

Covid-19 is a two-phase infection, and often the most life-threatening symptoms come not from the virus itself, but when the immune system spirals out of control. The infection can persist for a week to 10 days before worsening.

NYC Plans to Shut Businesses and Schools in Nine Hot Spots (1 p.m. NY)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he plans to close businesses and schools in nine neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where there’s been a surge in coronavirus infections.

Indoor and outdoor dining will also be closed in these areas. Houses of worship will stay opened with restrictions, he said. The state would have to approve the mayor’s plan.

“You don’t do this lightly -- you do this when the facts demand it,” De Blasio said in a press briefing on Sunday, adding that he has sounded a number of warnings recently. “We had warned people of more restrictive measures and now, we’re imposing them.”

State to Take Over Enforcement as New York Cases Rise (12:07 p.m. NY)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state will directly take over enforcement in 20 hot spots that are rapidly driving infections to the highest levels since lockdown. That enforcement will include local businesses and schools, including private ones, he said.

“When the state does enforcement, we do enforcement,” Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters Sunday.

Most of the hot spots are in New York City, in Brooklyn and Queens, but also counties including Hudson and Orange. Cuomo said the Orthodox Jewish communities in many of these hot spots have been cooperating with efforts to lower the numbers.

Cuomo reported 1,222 new cases on Sunday, the sixths consecutive day of infections of 1,000 or more. The positive-test result in the 20 hot spots is 4.8%, he said. Minus those areas, he said, the state’s overall positive rate is 0.9%, in line with the recent overall low trend in New York.

Another 14 people died, he said.

Italy Cases Slow (11:28 a.m. NY)

Italy reported 2,578 cases on Sunday, compared with 2,844 Saturday, which was the highest since April 24. Daily tests dropped below 100,000 to 92,714. Another 18 virus-related deaths were reported and patients in intensive care units rose above 300 to 303, well below the peak of over 4,000 in early April.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza confirmed in an interview on RAI 3 that the government is considering making the use of masks outdoor compulsory. Italy wants to keep schools open and avoid a national lockdown like in March, he said.

In the meantime, the Serie A League wants the Sunday match Juventus Football Club- SSC Napoli played even though Napoli players were ordered by health authorities to remain in Naples, Ansa newswire reported.

Myanmar Reports Record Surge (10:36 a.m. NY)

Myanmar reported 1,294 new cases and 41 more fatalities, the highest single-day surge since the pandemic broke out late March, the Ministry of Health and Sports says.

As of Sunday, Myanmar has reported a total of 17,794 cases and 412 fatalities. The majority of infected people are from Yangon, the country’s biggest city.

Trump Aide Says President Is Eager to Campaign (10:28 a.m. NY)

President Donald Trump is “going to defeat this virus” and “once he gets out of the hospital, he’s ready to get back to the campaign trail,” senior campaign adviser Jason Miller said Sunday.

Miller said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that in a phone conversation on Saturday afternoon Trump, who has for months defied public health recommendations to wear a mask and maintain social distance, wants “to remind folks to wash their hands, use hand sanitizer, make sure that if you can’t socially distance to wear a mask.”

U.K. Drafts Priority List for Vaccine (10:05 a.m. NY)

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government has prepared a priority list for who would receive the coronavirus vaccine first, when one becomes available.

“We’ve set that out in draft, pending the final clinical data,” he said at the Conservative Party conference. “The plans are in train. A combination of the NHS and the armed forces are involved in the logistics, making the roll-out happen.”

Hancock said they are working as fast they can to get a vaccine, though no vaccine technology is certain.

U.S. Senator Collins Tests Negative (9:15 a.m. NY)

U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, said she tested negative for Covid-19.

Collins said she had “almost no” contact with three colleagues who have tested positive but thought it was prudent to get tested. “My thoughts are with the President, FLOTUS, my colleagues & all who are infected,” Collins said in a tweet.

Three Republican senators have said in the past few days that they tested positive: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Mike Lee of Utah.

Netherlands Daily Cases Top 4,000 (9:10 a.m. NY)

The Netherlands’ daily infection level surpassed 4,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with 4,007 new cases on Sunday. This brings the the total amount of new infections this week to 24,000, ANP news agency wrote. Amsterdam witnessed the biggest increase with 457 new cases.

Henlius Unit Gets FDA Trial Nod for Covid Drug (8:43 a.m. NY)

A unit of Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc. received U.S. FDA approval to proceed with a clinical trial for a Covid-19 drug, the company said in an exchange filing.

The unit, Hengenix Biotech Inc., received a clinical-trial green light for anti-S1 fully human monoclonal neutralizing antibody HLX70 for treatment of Covid-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome or multiple organ failure caused by coronavirus. The antibody targets the receptor binding domain of the spike protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits viral infection.

New U.S. Cases Increase (7:46 a.m. NY)

The U.S. added 47,827 new cases, a 0.7% increase compared with an average 0.6% rise in the previous seven days. Total cases are 7,379,846.

Another 642 people died, in line with recent daily increases, for a total of 209,335 fatalities.

Dutch Grocer Benefits From Less Dining Out (7:15 a.m. NY)

Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller told Dutch TV show “Buitenhof” that the grocer has done well during the pandemic because of increased online sales and less eating out. Second-quarter profit doubled to almost 700 million euros ($820 million). But Muller reiterated that the virus also comes with extra costs. He said he expects 600 million euros in costs over the whole year because of extra security and cleaning expenses.

The grocer, which operates the Stop & Shop chain in the U.S. and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, is scheduled to report third-quarter results on Nov. 4. Ahold Delhaize’s sales momentum is set to improve in the fourth quarter as Covid-19 cases increase and more consumers shift to eating at home, Kepler Cheuvreux said last week.

No-Reservations Are Restaurants’ Latest Problem (7 a.m. NY)

Amid the pandemic’s uncertainty, U.S. diners are dashing out for a bite in the spur of the moment, instead of the pre-pandemic ritual of a scheduled date night or lunch with a friend. Data from OpenTable, a reservations platform, show that fewer people are reserving tables more than a week in advance compared with a year ago.

That creates a tangible headache for restaurants, particularly in the dining mecca of New York, home to many of the world’s best-reviewed -- and expensive -- restaurants.

Spaniards Blame Government Bickering (6:14 a.m. NY)

Bickering among Spanish authorities has undermined efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to 85% of people polled by GAD3 for ABC newspaper. At the same time, 52% of respondents said that residents themselves were too lax in protective measures.

Weaknesses in the health-care system contributed to Spain’s worse rates of containment, 84% of those polled said. Seven in 10 people said the country should avoid returning to a strict lockdown like it had in March through June.

Officials in Germany, which is paying the most toward the European Union’s coronavirus recovery fund, are worried by how badly Spain is coping with the pandemic. The recent resurgence in infections since summer ended has exposed partisan divisions, with center-right officials in Madrid challenging new restrictions imposed by the Socialist national leadership.

U.K. Will Have ‘Very Tough’ Winter (6:06 a.m. NY)

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he knows people feel angry over the way his government has handled the pandemic, but warned that coronavirus will make for a “very tough” winter, with difficulties lasting through Christmas and beyond.

Johnson conceded that the government’s encouragement of people to eat out over the summer may have helped to spread the virus, and that its test and tracing system needed to improve. He said on the BBC’s Andrew Marr program it is possible that there will be significant progress on a vaccine by December and that scientists told him the outlook for the pandemic will be radically different by next spring.

The U.K. reported 12,872 new cases on Saturday, the highest level ever and almost double the number from Friday. The Department of Health said due to a technical error, cases not counted in previous days were added to the total.

Russia Has More Than 10,000 New Cases (4:43 p.m. HK)

Russia added 10,499 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours for a total of 1.215 million, the country’s task force for combating the disease said. Moscow had 3,327 new infections. There were 107 new deaths were reported in Russia , taking the overall death toll to 21,358.

Poland Cases Top 100,000 (4:34 p.m. HK)

Poland reported 1,934 new cases and 26 deaths in last 24 hours. The total number of cases reached 100,074 and total deaths are 2,630.

Tunisia Enacts New Restrictions to Curb Virus Spread (3:20 p.m. HK)

Tunisia’s prime minister has enacted new restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus in a move that is likely to further squeeze the economy.

The measures include a ban on public gatherings and reduced work hours for the public sector, Hichem Mechichi said late Saturday on state TV. The North African nation has seen a rapid rise in cases in recent weeks.

German Cases Surpass 300,000 (3:18 p.m. HK)

Germany’s total cases surpassed 300,000 as the reproduction value rose above 1.0 for the first time in four days, indicating that the spread is growing. Health Minister Jens Spahn announced plans for fast tests in hospitals and nursing homes. Details will be sorted out by Oct. 15, he said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

In efforts to enforce hygiene rules, Munich has taken in 1.2 million euros from 9,100 fines on people not abiding by coronavirus restrictions, according to a report in Welt am Sonntag newspaper. Munich was the most aggressive among seven cities surveyed by the newspaper, which had a total of more than 35,000 pandemic-related infractions.

Trump Physician Says Progress Has Been Made, Not Yet Out of Woods (9:31 a.m. HK)

Trump has made substantial progress since being diagnosed with coronavirus, physician Sean Conley said in a statement posted on Twitter.

While his medical team remains cautiously optimistic, he is not yet out of the woods, according to the statement. Trump has completed a second dose of Remdesivir without complication. He remains fever-free and off supplemental oxygen, the statement said.

Australian Hot Spot Beachgoers Told to Obey Restrictions (9:03 a.m. HK)

Beachgoers in Melbourne, which has been the center of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak, have been warned to obey restrictions and social distancing rules or risk having popular swimming areas closed.

Victoria state, which only last week ended a curfew aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, said police will increase patrols and issue fines as warm weather lures crowds to the beach.

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