Fauci on Third Shots; Delta Digs Deeper Into Asia: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the U.S. will be “absolutely prepared” to distribute a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine quickly to a wider population if needed. He gave no timeline.

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she will be looking at the possibility of a statewide vaccine mandate for indoor activities, as she formulates her pandemic policy after taking over from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the end of the month.

Iran set a record for daily deaths from Covid-19 while the delta variant found new routes into Asia, despite stringent efforts to curb the pandemic. Cases were at or near records in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases top 207 million; deaths pass 4.3 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 4.68 billion doses administered
• Deadly Covid-linked condition in kids poised for a comeback
• Australia’s Indigenous people face biggest pandemic threat
• School mask rule clash puts heat on courts to steer policy
• Understanding the debate over booster shots: QuickTake

Moderna Head Says Boosters Inevitable (3:33 p.m. NY)

Moderna President Stephen Hoge called it “not surprising” that immunity to the coronavirus would weaken over time and said booster vaccine shots were inevitable. He compared it to boosters needed for the flu or tetanus.

“You need a booster to maintain high levels of protective immunity,” Hoge said on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “I think we were all hopeful that we were going to be able to stop this thing with the initial couple of doses, and it looks like the virus is going to fight back and require booster doses more broadly -- certainly by this fall.”

Moderna, which produces a two-dose mRNA vaccine, is one of three companies granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. for their vaccines.

S. Africa Cases Accelerate (1:23 p.m. NY)

The seven-day average of South African Covid-19 infections, seen as a better indicator of the path of the virus than daily fluctuations, rose for a fourth consecutive day, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
The eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, which accounted for 28% of the 10,139 cases recorded on Sunday, is now the worst affected of the country’s nine provinces, overtaking the Western Cape. The seven-day average number of cases has risen to 10,319.

Fauci Says U.S. Will Be Ready for Boosters (12:40 p.m. NY)

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said the U.S. will be “absolutely prepared” to distribute a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine quickly to a wider population if needed.

He gave no timeline but said health officials are evaluating various groups “on a daily and weekly basis.”

“So if it turns out, as the data come in, we see we do need to give an additional dose to people in nursing homes, actually, or people who are elderly we will be absolutely prepared to do that very quickly,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Next N.Y. Governor ‘Open’ to Shot Mandates (12:37 a.m. NY)

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she will be looking at the possibility of a statewide vaccine mandate for indoor activities, as she formulates her pandemic policy after taking over from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the end of the month.

“I’m open to all options,” she said on Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I will be looking at possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out until I know all the facts.”

Hochul, 62, who is lieutenant governor, went on national talk shows on Sunday to signal a change of tone and atmosphere when she serves the remainder of Cuomo’s term, starting next week.

Iran Deaths Hit Another Record (7:18 a.m. NY)

Covid-19 fatalities in Iran surged to an all-time high of 620 in 24 hours on Sunday -- the third time this month a record has been set. New cases rose by 36,736 overnight. Iran now has more than 4.4 million infections and 97,828 deaths from coronavirus.

Uganda Eyes Imports of Reagents (6:46 a.m. NY)

Uganda plans to import reagents of Covid-19 vaccines to start its own production and accelerate an inoculation campaign dogged by supply delays.

The arrival of chemicals would fast-track output of shots in the East African country, President Yoweri Museveni said late Saturday. Uganda has only administered 1.17 million of the 21 million jabs it’s targeted before fully removing restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the virus, according the Ministry of Health.

“My appeal to partners abroad is to sell us reagents,” Museveni said. “Because of speed, for the first production we’d want to buy from people who have established lines abroad.”

Russian Deaths Stay Near Record (4:23 p.m. HK)

Russia reported 816 deaths from Covid-19 Sunday, just short of the record set the day before. The delta strain has spread widely across the country, where vaccination levels remain relatively low. Authorities reported 21,624 new cases Sunday, down 2.3% from Saturday.

Malaysia Relaxes Curbs for the Vaccinated (11:41 a.m. HK)

Malaysia will open up more sectors to individuals who have been fully vaccinated in an effort to rebuild parts of the economy which have been shut due to the virus outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Sunday.

Under the new guidelines which will take effect on Monday, hair salons, shops selling electrical goods, furniture, sporting equipment and car accessories will be allowed to operate in states under the first phase of the national recovery plan, Muhyiddin said in a statement. Stores offering used clothes, antiques and toys can resume business under the second phase.

Sinovac to Seek Approval to Test Anti-Delta Shot (11:29 a.m. HK)

Beijing-based Sinovac, manufacturer of an inactivated Covid-19 vaccine, will seek approval to do further testing on a shot specifically targeting the delta variant of the coronavirus before October this year, state-backed Global Times reported Sunday, citing the company’s general manager Gao Qiang in a recent interview.

Two shots of Sinovac’s current vaccine that has been widely used in China and across much of the developing world can “remarkably” reduce the risks of developing symptoms and critical illness from infection by the delta variant, Gao was cited as saying by the Global Times.

Gao added that the results of real-world research on using the Sinovac vaccine as a booster shot, following full immunization, conducted in China, Turkey, Chile and other countries, will be obtained soon.

Vietnam Deaths Surge (11:11 a.m. HK)

Vietnam reported 9,710 new local Covid-19 cases on Saturday, an increase of 560 from a day earlier and a new single-day record. Deaths were 349, up 74 from Friday. The country’s daily local case average has more than doubled to 8,500 this month compared with last month. Daily fatalities in August have surged to 295 on average, from 40 in July.

Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s Covid-19 epicenter, is extending its stay-home order, which began on July 9 and expires on Sunday, by one more month, newspaper Tuoi Tre reported, citing the city’s party deputy chief Phan Van Mai. Danang, a major city in Vietnam’s central coastal region, ordered residents to stay home for a week starting at 8 a.m. on Aug. 16, amid a virus resurgence.

Philippine Cases Near Record (10:06 a.m. HK)

The Philippines registered 14,749 infections on Sunday, the highest since April 2, when daily cases reached a record of 15,298. Another 270 deaths were recorded.

The delta variant has been detected in all cities in the capital region, and 70% of all intensive care unit beds in the country were already occupied, the Department of Health said.

The Philippines has the second highest infection in Southeast Asia, at about 1.74 million. Cases continued to surge despite the lockdown imposed in the capital region and other parts of the country. The positivity rate of 23.5% as of Aug. 15 means nearly one in four people tested positive, according to the health department.

Thailand Cases Surpass 20,000 for Fifth Day (9:03 a.m. HK)

Thailand reported more than 20,000 new daily Covid cases for a fifth straight day as about a month of quasi-lockdown measures in areas covering around 40% of the population including the greater Bangkok area failed to ease an outbreak.

The Southeast Asian nation also reported 209 new Covid deaths. Cumulative fatalities have more than doubled to 7,500 in the past month alone.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha is scheduled to hold a meeting of the nation’s main Covid task force on Monday to review the containment measures amid warnings from health officials that new cases may double by the middle of next month if the current trend continues. Anti-government groups have held near-daily protests over the past couple of weeks, calling for Prayuth’s resignation and greater access to vaccines.

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With assistance from Bloomberg