16th Mar 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=621 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters South Korea reported a record 400741 new daily COVID19 cases the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday as the country seeks to further ease social distancing rules despite a wave of Omicron infections. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-reports-record-400741-new-daily-covid-cases-kdca-2022-03-16/ 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Americans went on a buying spree for life insurance in 2021 driven by concerns of death from the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Premium volume for new individual lifeinsurance policies surged 20 compared with 2020 while the number of policies issued rose 5 the biggest yearoveryear percentage gains since the 1980s according to industryfunded research firm Limra. As we zero in on one million Americans who tragically lost their lives its not a surprise that people are thinking about their own mortality and the impact on loved ones if anything were to happen to them said David Levenson Limras chief executive. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-life-insurance-sales-spike-on-covid-19-fears-11647347494?mod=hp_lista_pos3 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg World Trade Organization members have arrived at a compromise on intellectual property rules for Covid19 vaccines the Biden administration said. While there is no text for an agreement there is an understanding that offers the most promising path toward achieving a concrete and meaningful outcome Adam Hodge a spokesman for U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement came after Politico Pro reported the compromise earlier Tuesday between the European Union South Afirca India and the U.S. that covers only vaccines and still requires approval from the EU and WTO members. The USTR statement didnt provide details of the compromise. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/u-s-says-wto-vaccine-talks-have-resulted-in-compromise-outcome 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg New Zealand will begin reopening its border to the world next month bringing an end to the fortress settings that kept Covid19 out for much of the pandemic. Vaccinated Australians will be allowed to enter without needing to isolate on arrival from 1159 p.m. on April 12 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday in Wellington. The border will open to visitors from other visawaiver countries such as the U.S. the U.K. Japan Singapore and Germany from midnight May 1 she said. Were ready to welcome the world back Ardern told a news conference. Now that were highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our omicron peak its now safe to open up. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/ardern-opens-border-to-foreigners-as-fortress-new-zealand-ends 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Singapore plans to move more school lessons online and make better use of technology to improve the learning and teaching experience Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said Wednesday. Transmission of knowledge can be done via digital channels which will free up inperson school time for pupils to sharpen their collaborative skills and creativity Chan said in an interview to be broadcast as part of the Bloomberg Asean Business Summit. The minister also sees technology as a great enabler that helps lighten the workload of teachers and accelerate the pace of education. We will move more and more of our lessons online allowing our students to do more selfpaced learning Chan said citing the experience from the Covid19 pandemic. The citystate began preparations for virtual classrooms even before the start of the virus spread he added. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/singapore-s-chan-sees-more-online-school-learning-in-covid-shift 16th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Financial Times Over the past two years global health authorities have consistently warned of iniquitous access to tools to help counter the pandemic. Highincome nations such as the UK the US and those in Europe began their vaccine rollouts in December 2020 having reached substantial proportions of vulnerable groups by February 2021. The first shipment of vaccines 600000 doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca version delivered by Covax only arrived in the Ghanaian capital Accra in late February 2021. Since then mRNA manufacturers such as BioNTechPfizer and Moderna have booked recordbreaking revenues and become key players in business and geopolitics. Yet more than threequarters of people in lowincome countries aged 12 and over have still to receivea single dose compared with 10 per cent in highincome countries. The Cape Town initiative is part of a new push by global health authorities academics and philanthropists to address that and promote alternatives to Big Pharmas business model which relies on legally enforceable patent protections to raise investment to fund new drugs. https://www.ft.com/content/61e1d51e-b415-4161-b157-032e5207ab7f 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Mexico will uphold its existing agreements with Russia for its Sputnik V COVID19 vaccine as well as those made with other countries President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday. Speaking at a regular news conference Lopez Obrador said he expected Mexico to have sufficient vaccines going forward and reiterated that Mexico would not participate in sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. https://www.reuters.com/world/mexico-uphold-existing-agreements-russian-covid-vaccine-2022-03-14/ 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Europe tried to leave Covid19 behind but the rush to unwind restrictions is now setting the stage for a revival of pandemic risks. Accelerated by the emergence of BA.2 a moretransmissible strain of the omicron variant the virus has spread rapidly. Germany on Tuesday set a fresh record for infection rates for the four straight day. Austria has also reached new highs while cases in the Netherlands have doubled since lifting curbs on Feb. 25. Most authorities have shrugged off the surge showing little appetite to reimpose curbs after easing measures just a few weeks ago. But the virus threatens to cause problems anyway with businesses and schools disrupted as people call in sick. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/europe-is-getting-caught-by-a-covid-resurgence-after-rushed-exit 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press The Dutch government will drop its last remaining COVID19 restrictions next week despite a recent rise in infections as the nation learns to live with the coronavirus officials said Tuesday. The Netherlands has already ended a nationwide lockdown and scrapped most virus measures. As of March 23 wearing a face mask on public transport will no longer be obligatory. Masks will still have to be worn on airplanes and behind security screening at airports. The government also is halting the use of a digital COVID19 pass to get into nightclubs and other largescale events the only place where they were still required https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-european-union-netherlands-b1cfe5a4942f754cefc64ec489ac354d 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

STAT News The White House is begging Congress for more funds to help with Covid19 surveillance testing and treatments a call that could be bolstered by the emerging signs of an increase in Covid19 cases in Europe. After lawmakers plan to provide 22.5 billion in Covid19 funding imploded last week the White House has been faced with cutting back on its pandemic response activities because its budget is nearly exhausted. Its unclear whether additional funding is on the way. The Biden administration on Tuesday laid out a roadmap of the cutbacks and shortages that could happen if no more funding is provided. Specifically senior administration officials said they would need to wind down some Covid19 surveillance investments and that testing capacity could crater after June. https://www.statnews.com/2022/03/15/white-house-begs-covid-funds-omicron-sister/ 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail Professor Adrian Esterman said it was 40 per cent more transmissible than BA.1. Britains daily cases have risen continuously over the last two weeks. Some experts say BA.2 is the most important driver behind this increase https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10614413/Omicron-sub-variant-BA-2-just-contagious-MEASLES.html 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The United States European Union India and South Africa have reached a consensus on key elements of a longsought intellectual property waiver for COVID19 vaccines according to a proposed text reviewed by Reuters. Sources familiar with the talks described the text as a tentative agreement among the four World Trade Organization members that still needs formal approvals from the parties before it can be considered official. Any agreement must be accepted by the WTOs 164 member countries in order to be adopted. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-eu-india-s-africa-reach-tentative-pact-covid-vaccine-ip-waiver-sources-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Associated Press Britains government said Monday all remaining coronavirus measures for travelers including passenger locator forms and the requirement that unvaccinated people be tested for COVID19 before and after their arrivals will end Friday to make going on holiday easier for the Easter school vacation. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes will mean people can travel just like in the good old days. The passenger locator forms require people to fill in travel details their address in the U.K. and their vaccination status. https://apnews.com/article/covid-travel-health-business-england-5d3635d5fe26d48c2e3f934dc50156af 14th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters New Zealand said on Wednesday it would open its border for some visitors earlier than previously forecast hoping an influx of tourists will boost the economy. Vaccinated Australians can travel to New Zealand from April 12 and then from May 1 tourists from visawaiver countries such as the United States and Britain will be able to visit Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a press conference. The border was not expected to fully reopen until October under the current plan but Ardern said this could be brought forward. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-pm-ardern-announces-border-reopening-earlier-than-previously-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

South China Morning Post Medical practitioners in Hong Kong have been reluctant to recommend Covid19 vaccines to patients with chronic health conditions for fear of the risk of adverse events. Significant numbers of doctors have also been hesitant about openly discussing or recommending vaccination even for those with no relevant health issues. These are the conclusions from a study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong that received little attention when published last November. The findings which should have raised alarm bells offer an explanation for the citys stubbornly low vaccination rate among the elderly. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170354/doctors-concerns-about-covid-19-vaccine-liability-must-be-addressed 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Pulse GPled Covid vaccination sites will be able to continue delivering jabs until September if they have sufficient capacity NHS England has said. But some may be asked to suspend the service if they are not delivering value for money it added. The enhanced service was due to expire at the end of this month but NHS England had indicated it was expected to be extended until September as long as delivery did not impact on core GP services. https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/pulse-pcn/gp-vaccine-sites-offering-value-for-money-to-continue-covid-jabs-until-september/ 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Last month Boris Johnson argued that the downward trends in Covid cases and hospitalisations meant that it was time to scrap restrictions. Now both are rising. But the government is ending testing and most surveillance studies. Sajid Javid the health secretary said that the rise was to be expected though this foresight did not extend to having a plan to deal with the increase in infections. Instead he dismissed the concern about the new Deltacron variant. The health secretary seemed nonchalant about the threat the virus now posed. Mr Javid may be right that the country has weathered the worst of the pandemic but Covid is not yet in retreat. The Treasurys pennypinching means that the UK is abandoning essential defences. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/14/the-guardian-view-on-rising-rates-of-covid-theres-no-plan-beyond-vaccines 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The New York Times In the tumbledown concrete room that has been commandeered as this sleepy African trading centers Covid19 vaccination headquarters a battered freezer holds stacks of boxes with dozens of small glass vials. Stuffed among shots for rotavirus and measles are four brands of Covid vaccines. The vaccination team gives Sinopharm donated from China to the youngest and healthiest people because theyve been told its the least effective of the vaccines said Abdulai Conteh who runs the operation. AstraZeneca in which they have more faith is normally just for people with underlying medical conditions. But the town recently received a big shipment that will expire soon so the health workers are rushing to use it all up. Johnson Johnson is given mostly to teachers as a single shot. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/health/covid-vaccines-africa.html 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Scientists are calling for the immediate rollout of Covid vaccines to primaryaged children in the UK as new data suggests that even a single dose of the Pfizer jab helps to prevent older children against infection and shortens the duration and severity of symptoms if they do get infected. According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics 2 to 11yearolds have the highest rate of infections of any UK age group with 4.2 testing positive during the week ending 5 March. Secondaryaged children up to Year 11 have the lowest rate of infections with 2.4 testing positive. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/14/scientists-call-for-immediate-rollout-of-covid-jab-for-uk-primary-school-children 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian In the UK Wilko has admitted it got it wrong for telling staff they could come into work if they tested positive for Covid19 and apologised after it was criticised for issuing reckless guidance amid a new wave of coronavirus infections and hospitalisations. The homeware retailchain which has 414 stores and 16000 employees across the UK sent a memo to staff with guidance on its workplace policy after the governments relaxation of rules as part of its living with Covid plan published last month. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/15/wilko-apologies-for-saying-staff-come-to-work-covid 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The wearing of masks in public in Namibia and negative PCR tests for vaccinated visitors are no longer required President Hage Geingob said on Tuesday as active COVID19 cases fall to just a couple of hundred. Infections peaked at more than 30000 per month in June 2021 but the southern African country has averaged 14 cases per day during the last seven days with the total active cases at 222. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/masks-pcr-tests-no-longer-needed-namibia-covid-cases-fall-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters JPMorgan will resume hiring unvaccinated individuals from April 4 the bank said in an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday as it looks to ease rules put in place during the COVID19 pandemic. The bank is also dropping the mask mandate in it offices for all employees making wearing masks voluntary for both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees according to the memo. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/jpmorgan-resume-hiring-unvaccinated-individuals-memo-2022-03-14/ 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will not request an extension of COVID19 countermeasures scheduled to end on March 21 the Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday. The Japanese government will likely announce on Wednesday whether to lift the socalled quasistate of emergency curbs currently applied in 18 of Japans 47 prefectures including the capital Tokyo local media have said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/tokyo-will-not-request-extension-covid-19-restrictions-nikkei-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Chinas financial hub of Shanghai is not under lockdown and does not need one at the moment to minimise the disruption to peoples daily lives from the COVID19 outbreak state television quoted a city government official as saying. Although its cases are few by global standards Shanghai is battling its worst flareup of infections since China reined in early in 2020 its first outbreak emerging from the central city of Wuhan. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/shanghai-official-rules-out-need-covid-lockdown-moment-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal China is modifying its Covid19 playbook amid a surge in cases as it seeks to avoid strains on its healthcare system. Health authorities said patients with no symptoms or only mild ones should go to centralized isolation facilities so that hospitals can focus on more serious cases. The change in the mandatory hospitalization rules that have seen China through most of the pandemic is an acknowledgment that its current approach risks overwhelming hospitals amid a rapid increase in cases. China recorded more than 15000 symptomatic locally transmitted infections in 28 provinces so far in March largely due to the spread of the more infectious Omicron variant Mi Feng spokesman for Chinas National Health Commission told a news conference Tuesday. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-new-covid-19-cases-more-than-double-as-outbreak-spreads-11647336996 15th Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal Second gentleman Doug Emhoff the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for Covid19 Ms. Harriss spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in a statement. Ms. Harris tested negative for Covid19 on Tuesday and will continue to test Ms. Singh said. The vice president was scheduled to attend an event with President Biden on Tuesday evening but decided not to participate out of an abundance of caution. https://www.wsj.com/articles/second-gentlemandoug-emhoff-tests-positive-for-covid-19-11647382602 16th Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Sky News A COVID expert has accused ministers of wanting to get rid of data and move on as cases across the UK have spiked by nearly 50 over the last week. In the last seven days 444201 coronavirus cases were reported a 48.1 increase on the previous week. The COVID Infection Survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics has also shown an increase in cases across the UK which Health Secretary Sajid Javid said was expected following the easing of restrictions in England in late January. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-cases-up-nearly-50-week-on-week-as-expert-accuses-ministers-of-wanting-to-get-rid-of-data-and-move-on-12566355 15th Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press Hundreds of truckers and other motorists who have been doing rolling protests on highways encircling Washington made their way into the nations capital Monday snarling alreadycongested traffic in a demonstration against COVID19 mandates and other grievances. The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency issued a traffic advisory shortly before 2 p.m. that suggested motorists delay travel or use alternative transportation due to ongoing demonstration activity on I395 I695 and I295. The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department closed a number of streets and exits off the highways to prevent the protesters from coming into the city. These rolling road closures are occurring in realtime as they are needed the announcement said. The protesters separated intermittently by the usual congested traffic waved flags and blew their horns as they drove. When asked why they had come to protest one unidentified couple with Montana license plates answered freedom. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-traffic-transportation-eb15a38a85aa863533e0863e2917a79a 15th Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters The U.S. Senate voted 57 to 40 on Tuesday to overturn a 13monthold public health order requiring masks on airplanes and other forms of public transportation drawing a quick veto threat from President Joe Biden. Last week the White House said it would extend the current COVID19 mask requirements at airports train stations ride share vehicles and other transit modes through April 18 but pledged a new review. The order was set to expire on Friday. The mandate has drawn significant opposition from Republicans who note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said last week that 98 of Americans live in places where it is safe to ditch indoor masks. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-says-biden-would-veto-bill-overturn-transport-mask-mandate-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration includes data collected in Israel where a second booster is authorized for many people over age 18. An analysis of data from over a million adults 60 years and older showed rates of confirmed infections and severe illness were lower among individuals who received an additional booster dose of the vaccine administered at least four months after an initial booster third dose compared to those who received only one booster dose the companies said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-biontech-seek-us-authorization-second-covid-booster-shot-report-2022-03-15/ 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE have asked U.S. health regulators to authorize a second booster dose of their Covid19 vaccine for people 65 years and older. The companies said Tuesday that they had filed the application. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a decision in time for the Biden administration to begin a potential fall vaccine campaign. The FDA has been reviewing data and looking at potentially authorizing a fourth dose of the shot for use in the fall The Wall Street Journal reported last month. Health authorities have cleared booster doses for children as young as 12 years of age at least five months after they finished their first round of vaccination. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-asks-fda-to-authorize-second-covid-19-booster-dose-11647384010 16th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

NL Times The Novavax proteinbased vaccine against the coronavirus is now available in the Netherlands. The Novavax vaccine can be an alternative for people who are hesitant about inoculation with an mRNA or vector vaccine public health institute RIVM said on its website. People who want to get a Novavax shot can make an appointment with the GGD at telephone number 08000174. The Novavax vaccine contains tiny particles with the coronavirus spike protein which was counterfeited in the laboratory. It also contains an adjuvant that enhances the bodys immune response to this protein. The body will produce antibodies against the spike protein after injection. If the body later comes into contact with SARSCoV2 the immune system will recognize the spike protein and produce antibodies to fight it according to the RIVM. https://nltimes.nl/2022/03/14/novavax-covid-vaccine-now-available-netherlands 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal A new Covid19 pill from Merck Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP has been more widely used than expected since rolling out late last year though regulators and many doctors consider it a last resort. Many doctors and health officials anticipated a rival pill Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid would be the Covid19 drug of choice. Paxlovid was found to be far more effective than MerckRidgebacks molnupiravir in clinical trials and regulators and guidelines recommended using Paxlovid if possible. Prescriptions for the two antivirals have been running about equal since their authorization in December however. The largerthanexpected use is a sign of the high demand for easytouse coronavirus treatments that can be taken at home especially during surges like the recent Omicron wave. https://www.wsj.com/articles/mercks-covid-19-pill-heavily-used-so-far-despite-concerns-11647250200 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent People who suffer from severe Covid19 symptoms are more likely to have longterm mental health problems a new study suggests. Higher rates of depression and anxiety have been found in people who were bedridden with Covid19 for more than seven days last year according to a study published in The Lancet. Scientists drawing on data from 247249 people across the UK Denmark Estonia Iceland Norway and Sweden found that people with coronavirus who were not admitted to hospital were more likely to experience symptoms of depression up to 16 months after diagnosis compared to those never infected. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-mental-health-study-symptoms-b2035604.html 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. One in four kids with COVID develop lingering problems One in four children with COVID19 symptoms develop long COVID according to data pooled from 21 earlier studies conducted in Europe Asia Australia and South America. Among the 80071 children with COVID19 in the studies 25 developed symptoms that lasted at least 4to12 weeks or new persistent symptoms that appeared within 12 weeks researchers reported on Sunday on medRxiv ahead of peer review. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/quarter-symptomatic-kids-hit-by-long-covid-mrna-shots-provide-best-protection-2022-03-14/ 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Top executives at pandemic juggernauts Pfizer and Moderna are at odds on the need for a fourth COVID19 vaccine dose. One says a second booster is needed right now while the other thinks a fourth mRNA shot may only be essential for older adults and the immunocompromised. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Ph.D. for his part thinks another booster is needed as soon as possible. While a third dose of the companys mRNAbased shot Comirnaty offers protection against severe disease it may not be enough to stave off infection CEO Albert Bourla told CBS News Face the Nation. Based on what Pfizer has seen its necessary for a a fourth booster right now Bourla said over the weekend. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/top-pfizer-moderna-execs-odds-need-fourth-covid-19-vaccine-dose 15th Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg A wastewater network that monitors for Covid19 trends is warning that cases are once again rising in many parts of the U.S. according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by Bloomberg. More than a third of the CDCs wastewater sample sites across the U.S. showed rising Covid19 trends in the period ending March 1 to March 10 though reported cases have stayed near a recent low. The number of sites with rising signals of Covid19 cases is nearly twice what it was during the Feb. 1 to Feb. 10 period when the wave of omicronvariant cases was fading rapidly. Its not clear how many new infections the signs in the sewage represent and if they will turn into a new wave or will be just a brief bump on the way down from the last one. In many parts of the country people are returning back to offices and mask rules have been loosened factors that can raise transmission. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-14/are-covid-cases-going-back-up-sewer-data-has-potential-warning 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

iNews For a long time Hong Kong was held up as one of the great success stories of Covid. When the pandemic started it shut down it closed its borders. For eight whole months there was not a single case of Covid19 detected within it. And life for Hong Kongers was relatively normal at least from a public health perspective. Restaurants were open schools were open. There were no lockdowns no bans on household mixing. Meanwhile in the UK tens of thousands were dying our children were barred from schools I spent my 40th birthday drinking cans with one friend on a park bench because larger gatherings were banned. Life was not normal. But now Hong Kong is living through a disaster. At the absolute peak of Britains second wave about 18 people in every million were dying from Covid a day and our health service was creaking under the strain. On 13 March in Hong Kong nearly 38 people out of every million died. https://inews.co.uk/news/science/how-hong-kong-went-from-zero-covid-success-story-to-the-worlds-worst-omicron-wave-1517171 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News When the coronavirus receded across much of the globe last month and the omicron surge declined many Americans were hopeful that was perhaps the signal that the United States was entering a new phase of the pandemic. However new data indicators domestically and internationally suggest that the virus continues to spread. Although official counts of COVID19 infections and hospitalizations are still declining new wastewater data updated this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the United States may be seeing the beginnings of an uptick in COVID19 infections. Between Feb. 24 and March 10 37 of wastewater sites that are monitored by the CDC have seen an increase of 100 or more in the presence of the COVID19 virus in their wastewater. https://abcnews.go.com/International/rise-covid-19-infections-overseas-foreshadow-increase-us/story?id=83437924 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian China has posted a steep jump in daily Covid19 infections with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to a twoyear high as a virus outbreak expanded rapidly in the northeast. A total of 3507 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported on Monday across more than a dozen provinces and municipalities the National Health Commission said up from 1337 a day earlier. Since the coronavirus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019 China had successfully suppressed largescale outbreaks through its strict zeroCovid strategy which involved hard lockdowns that confined huge sections of the population to their homes. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/15/china-covid-cases-hit-two-year-high-with-millions-in-lockdown-as-outbreak-spreads 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Two weeks after the United Kingdom dropped its last remaining Covid19 mitigation measure a requirement that people who test positive for the virus isolate for five days the country is seeing cases and hospitalizations climb once again. Covid19 cases were up 48 in the UK last week compared with the week before. Hospitalizations were up 17 over the same period. The countrys daily case rate about 55000 a day is still less than a third of the Omicron peak but cases are rising as fast as they were falling just two weeks earlier when the country removed pandemicrelated restrictions. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/health/covid-rising-uk-us/index.html 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Germany reported a record high sevenday incidence of the coronavirus on Tuesday just days before the planned easing of restrictions. The Robert Koch Institute RKI registered 198888 new infections that is 42000 higher than a week ago bringing the total number of infections to more than 17.4 million. The sevenday incidence rose to a new high of 1585.4 infections per 1000 people up from 1543.0 the day before. Another 283 people died bringing the total to 125873 people. This week the government wants to adopt a slimmeddown law that will significantly reduce restrictions around Germany https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/germany-reports-record-covid-19-incidence-before-easing-curbs-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters China posted a steep jump in daily COVID19 infections on Tuesday with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a twoyear high raising concerns about the rising economic costs of its tough measures to contain the disease. A total of 3507 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported on Monday across more than a dozen provinces and municipalities up from 1337 a day earlier the National Health Commission said. Most of the new cases were in the northeastern province of Jilin. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reports-3602-new-confirmed-coronavirus-cases-march-14-vs-1437-day-earlier-2022-03-15/ 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Wall Street Journal A surge in Covid19 cases led Chinese manufacturing hubs Shenzhen and Changchun to lock down in recent days halting production at many electronics and auto factories in the latest threat to the worlds battered supply chain. A number of manufacturers including Foxconn Technology Group a major assembler of Apple Inc.s iPhones said they were halting operations in Shenzhen in compliance with the local governments policy. The government placed the city into lockdown for at least a week and said everyone in the city would have to undergo three rounds of testing after 86 new cases of domestic Covid19 infections were detected Sunday. https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-outbreak-shuts-down-some-china-factories-including-apple-supplier-11647246503?mod=hp_lead_pos7 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg About half of Hong Kongs 7.4 million people have already been infected with Covid19 according to an estimate of the damage caused by the deadly omicron wave thats overwhelmed the city. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong determined that about 3.6 million Hong Kongers caught the disease through March 14. Thats up from an estimated 1.8 million infections they concluded had developed through March 7 based on disease modeling and an indepth analysis of the ongoing outbreak. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/nearly-half-of-hong-kong-s-population-has-already-caught-covid 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Article reports that South Korea had its deadliest day yet of the pandemic on Tuesday with 293 deaths reported in the latest 24 hours as the country grapples with a record surge in coronavirus infections driven by the fastmoving omicron variant. The 1196 virus patients in serious or critical conditions were also a new high. Health officials said the countrys medical response remains stable following efforts to expand resources with more than 30 of intensive care units designated for COVID19 treatment still available. But the strain on the hospital system is expected to increase in coming weeks considering the time lags between infections hospitalizations and deaths. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-south-korea-pandemics-23161b8f66dc2332c54a573e4f6e2430 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Arutz Sheva Israels coronavirus infection coefficient is continuing to rise the countrys Health Ministry reported Tuesday morning. On Monday 6521 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed for a total of 35810 active cases around the country. As of Tuesday morning 795 COVID19 patients were hospitalized among them 340 who are in serious condition or worse. Included in that count are 170 patients whose condition is critical and 148 who are on ventilators. Twentythree 23 other patients are on ECMO heart and lung machines. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/323981 15th Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News When the coronavirus receded across much of the globe last month and the omicron surge declined many Americans were hopeful that was perhaps the signal that the United States was entering a new phase of the pandemic. However new data indicators domestically and internationally suggest that the virus continues to spread. Although official counts of COVID19 infections and hospitalizations are still declining new wastewater data updated this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the United States may be seeing the beginnings of an uptick in COVID19 infections. Between Feb. 24 and March 10 37 of wastewater sites that are monitored by the CDC have seen an increase of 100 or more in the presence of the COVID19 virus in their wastewater. https://abcnews.go.com/International/rise-covid-19-infections-overseas-foreshadow-increase-us/story?id=83437924 15th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

The Independent China has put nearly 30 million people under strict lockdown measures as the country recorded a steep rise in new coronavirus infections which have hit a twoyear high. A total of 5280 new Covid19 infections were recorded in the country on Tuesday https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/china-covid-30-million-lockdown-latest-b2036062.html?src=rss 15th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Bloomberg China saw more than 5000 new Covid19 infections for the first time since the early days of the pandemic as outbreaks of the highly contagious omicron variant prompt officials to lock down more cities and impose further restrictions. The were a total of 5154 new cases Tuesday of which 1647 were asymptomatic the National Health Commission said. While not a large number if compared globally its a significant tally for China which has kept cases low for most of the past two years through a strict Covid Zero strategy that is now being challenged by omicron. More than 4000 of the infections were in the northeastern province of Jilin bordering Russia. The region of some 24 million residents was locked down on Monday to try and stymie what has become an explosive outbreak by China standards. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-15/china-reports-over-5-000-covid-cases-as-more-cities-locked-down 15th Mar 2022

New Lockdown

The Wall Street Journal Fallout from Chinas race to halt its worsening coronavirus outbreak is growing as authorities order lockdowns and other restrictions across more of the country. All 24 million residents of northeastern Jilin province which borders Russia and North Korea were locked down on Monday the first time since Covid19 was first detected two years ago in Wuhan that such restrictions have been imposed on an entire province. Shenzhen city began a weeklong lockdown on Monday closing public transport nonessential businesses and schools while companies in Shanghai began shutting down over the weekend. Whether authorities can swiftly end the outbreak will not only test Chinas pandemic strategies against the more infectious Omicron variant behind the latest wave but also has major implications for the rest of the world. Chinas current restrictions have already disrupted global supply chains including Foxconn Technology Group plants in Shenzhen that make devices for Apple Inc. https://www.wsj.com/articles/lockdowns-spread-across-china-as-race-to-contain-covid-19-outbreak-intensifies-11647266905?mod=hp_listb_pos2 15th Mar 2022