22nd Jul 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=706 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press A thirdparty auditor will review the New York state governments response to the COVID19 pandemic including efforts by the administration of the previous governor to downplay the number of deaths of nursing home residents. The state plans to select an auditor who would have until late 2023 to deliver a final report under a timeline released Tuesday by the office of current Gov. Kathy Hochul a Democrat. Initial findings are expected in May. The report will include a planning guide for future emergencies and will explore issues from the transfer of nursing home patients to the reopening of schools and businesses to efforts to purchase needed medical supplies. https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-nursing-homes-new-york-state-government-57dbc3d112ecd8c227f324ff26105711 21st Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Things started well when a Pfizer employee agreed on the spot to purchase a 16thfloor condo with views of Boston Harbor for 4.85 million she said. Two hours later a Moderna executive honed in on the same unit. When she remarked on the coincidence Ms. Angelini said He just looked at me completely serious and said I want the same home but I need to be one floor higher than Pfizer. He reserved the option to buy a 17thfloor unit for 4.95 million that day she said. Ms. Angelinis buyer is just one in a flurry of Moderna employees who have descended on the Bostonarea realestate market since the companys blockbuster Covid vaccine helped drive the company to its first profitable year in 2021 more than a decade after its founding in 2010. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-modernas-covid-vaccine-boostedbostons-real-estate-market-11658404871 21st Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid19 on Thursday finally contracting the virus whose control and ultimate defeat he had made a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House. Bidens illness coming after a fiveday trip to the Middle East during which he made few efforts to avoid infection highlights the endurance of a pandemic that has killed millions of people worldwide and upturned the global economy. Biden 79 is experiencing mild symptoms and has begun taking Pfizer Inc.s Paxlovid treatment for the disease White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said in a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg. He will isolate at the White House while continuing his duties via phone and Zoom until he tests negative. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-21/biden-is-positive-for-covid-has-mild-symptoms-white-house-says 21st Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Australia reported one of its highest daily death tolls from the novel coronavirus on Thursday while hospital admissions hovered near record levels as authorities struggle to get ahead of highly contagious Omicron variants. The BA.45 variants are good at evading immune protection from vaccination or prior infection and have been driving a surge of new infections globally. Australia is reporting the highest daily numbers since the first Omicron wave earlier this year with 89 deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday and 90 on Wednesday. Just over 55600 new cases were recorded on Thursday the highest since May 18. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/australia-battles-fresh-omicron-outbreak-covid-deaths-rise-2022-07-21/ 21st Jul 2022

Lockdown Exit

South China Morning Post The numbers show a resurgence has taken hold in the Japanese capital ahead of the summer holidays when travel and activity levels typically soar. Rising cases are forcing leaders to reconsider what steps might be needed to contain the outbreak may add pressure to slow the pace of reopening to tourists https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3186100/coronavirus-tokyo-hits-pandemic-record-rise-new-covid-19?module=feature_package_2_2&amppgtype=homepage 21st Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

The Straits Times The Straits Times China bureau chief Tan Dawn Wei chats with Money FM 89.3s Elliott Danker. They discuss the Covid19 situation in China with case numbers increasing once again. Also highlights from Chinese Premier Xi Jinping visit to Xinjiang last week and the possibility of China stumbling into its own mortgage crisis. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/china-perspective-podcast-is-china-back-to-square-one-with-their-fight-against-covid 21st Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

The Straits Times Japans top government spokesman on Thursday July 21 called for the highest vigilance against Covid19 infections as the nations capital Tokyo reported 31878 cases of daily infections surpassing the 30000 mark for the first time. Nationwide new infections have reached the highest level ever Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference. We need to keep a close eye on the infection situation going forward including the issue of access to medical services with the highest vigilance. In response to the surge of infection cases the Tokyo metropolitan government on Thursday raised the alert level for the medical system to the most serious on its fourlevel scale. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/tokyo-covid-19-cases-top-30000-for-1st-time-japan-urges-high-vigilance 21st Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

ฺBangkok Post Some moves by Beijing in recent weeks including shorter quarantine requirements for inbound travellers and allowing more international flights have raised hopes that the country will move away from its zeroCovid approach. But VicePremier Sun Chunlan said The latest Covid19 control playbook is not about relaxing rules but about precision which requires greater efforts to grasp prevention and close loopholes. Speaking on a visit to Hebei province earlier this week she warned officials they need to act swiftly to stop outbreaks spreading in the run up to the Communist Party congress the countrys main political event of the year. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2350986/chinas-top-covid-official-denies-authorities-are-easing-controls 21st Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

The Globe and Mail Ontario parents will be able to book COVID19 vaccinations for infants and preschoolers starting next Thursday. Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the lowerdose Moderna shot for children aged six months to under five will give young family members protection against COVID19. Getting vaccinated remains the best defence against COVID19 she said in a written statement. I encourage parents with questions to reach out to their health care provider the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre or the SickKids COVID19 Vaccine Consult Service to make an informed choice for their family. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-to-open-pediatric-covid-19-vaccine-bookings-starting-july-28/ 21st Jul 2022

Exit Strategies

CTV News Just a week ago Health Canada approved Modernas COVID19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers marking the first vaccine approval for the age group in the country. The childsized vaccine dose is onequarter the size of the adult quantity. Over the next several days pediatric vaccines will be distributed across the province and will be available through public health unit clinics as well as participating pediatricians primary care providers and pharmacies. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-vaccine-bookings-for-children-under-five-opening-in-ontario-next-week-1.5996665 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

Al Jazeera English Once a regular investor in Chinese tech companies Lian now views China as an increasingly risky bet as the countrys autocratic turn under Xi Jinping and ongoing zero COVID lockdowns cast a cloud over the economy. Overseas investors shed more than 150bn in Chinabased yuandenominated assets in the first quarter of this year the largest decline on record. Chinese bonds alone saw a 61bn selloff between February and May. Roughly 300bn could exit the country this year more than double last years outflow of 129bn according to forecasts by the Washingtonbased Institute of International Finance https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/7/21/china-investors-call-it-quits-as-xi-zero-covid-rattle-markets 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal President Biden the oldest president in U.S. history tested positive on Thursday for Covid19 as new variants keep case numbers high after 2 years of pandemic disruptions. The White House said Thursday the president 79 years old has mild symptoms and has begun taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid. He plans to isolate at the White House residence and continue to carry out his duties during that time. Dr. Kevin OConnor Mr. Bidens physician wrote in a letter released by the White House that the president was experiencing a runny nose and fatigue with an occasional dry cough which began Wednesday evening. https://www.wsj.com/articles/president-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19-11658413867 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Bidens treatment has been a much more straightforward affair. Hes isolating while continuing to work from the White House and taking Pfizer Inc.s antiviral pill Paxlovid a standard treatment for higherrisk patients. His wife said he was doing fine. The different therapies reflect the evolving course of the virus and medical countermeasures against it. Back when Trump got sick there were no vaccines or FDAauthorized pills against the coronavirus. Earlier versions spreading at the time were associated with higher rates of severe complications. Trump was unvaccinated and that was in the prevaccine era says infectious disease specialist Amesh Adalja a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-21/biden-s-covid-diagnosis-we-ve-come-a-long-way-since-trump-s 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Fourtime champion Chris Froomes encouraging Tour de France came to a frustrating halt on Thursday when the Briton pulled out of the race after contracting COVID19. The Israel Premier Tech rider took third place on stage 12 atop LAlpe dHuez which was his best performance since a careerthreatening crash three years ago. A test has revealed that I have contracted COVID so I am not going to be taking the start today Froome said in a video on Twitter just as stage 18 was beginning. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/froome-pulls-out-tour-de-france-due-covid-2022-07-21/ 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

The Guardian Ministers will have a year to prepare before crossexamination at the UKs Covid19 public inquiry its chair Heather Hallett announced as she opened what is likely be one of the broadest statutory investigations in the countrys history. The first crossexaminations of the government response to the pandemic including decisions on lockdowns maintaining public confidence and handling of scientific advice will begin in summer 2023 three and a half years after the arrival of coronavirus which has claimed more than 200000 lives in the UK. Hearings on the UKs preparedness will start in late spring 2023 as Lady Hallett said she wanted to move as speedily as possible so lessons are learned before another pandemic strikes. Boris Johnson had been repeatedly criticised by campaigners for the bereaved and Labour for delaying the launch of the inquiry. Hallett said it would scrutinise the performance and effectiveness of central government decisionmaking and its messaging topics likely to expose current and former ministers. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/21/public-inquiry-into-uk-covid-19-response-opens?amp;amp;amp 21st Jul 2022

Partisan Exits

Associated Press A Southern California man who tried to obtain 27 million in unemployment benefits by falsely claiming his business was affected by the COVID19 pandemic was sentenced Tuesday to more than 11 years in federal prison. Robert Benlevi 53 of the Encino area of Los Angeles received a 135month sentence following his March conviction for bank fraud money laundering and making false statements to a financial institution the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. In 2020 Benlevi submitted 27 applications for forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program prosecutors said. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-california-los-angeles-ecf2c5897604fd18e1caabb0d8ac9121 21st Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bangkok Post on MSN.com The country registered 23 more Covid19 fatalities and 2607 new cases admitted to hospital during the previous 24 hours the Public Health Ministry announced on Thursday morning but government data showed an average of more than 20000 positive antigen tests over the past week. https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/antigen-tests-show-more-than-20000-new-covid-infections-per-day/ar-AAZOgs1 21st Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Prevention A new study shows that women may experience shortterm changes in their menstrual cycles after COVID19 vaccination. The researchers found that these changes were associated with all COVID19 vaccine types. https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a40531124/covid-19-vaccine-linked-to-short-term-changes-in-menstrual-cycle-length-study-suggests/ 21st Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Associated Press U.S. adults who havent gotten any COVID19 shots yet should consider a new option from Novavax a more traditional kind of vaccine health officials said Tuesday. Regulators authorized the nations first socalled protein vaccine against COVID19 last week but the final hurdle was a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you have been waiting for a COVID19 vaccine built on a different technology than those previously available now is the time to join the millions of Americans who have been vaccinated Dr. Rochelle Walensky CDCs director said in a statement endorsing an earlier decision from an influential advisory panel. https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-29202c59952b4454079c36ce589eaa7b 21st Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP COVID19 patients are six times more likely than uninfected people to develop cardiovascular disease CVD and nearly twice as likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis but the risk begins to recede at 5 weeks and 12 weeks respectively concludes a UK study published yesterday in PLOS Medicine. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/07/covid-19-tied-new-onset-short-term-heart-disease-diabetes 20th Jul 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg Shionogi Co.s experimental Covid19 treatment Xocova failed to win the backing of health experts in Japan who said there wasnt enough data to show the medicines efficacy. The panel members didnt recommend that Japans health ministry authorize emergency use of the therapy as there was a need to continue discussion on it Hiroshi Kiyota chairman of the expert committee said in a briefing Wednesday. The health ministry relies on the panels decision to give the approval. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-20/shionogi-covid-pill-fails-to-win-japan-s-panel-backing?srnd=premium-uk 20th Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press Active cases of COVID19 hit their highest levels in West Virginia in five months Thursday. There were at least 3221 ongoing cases in the state the highest since 3339 on Feb. 24 according to the Department of Health and Human Resources COVID19 dashboard. Active cases statewide had plunged to 263 on April 4 after surpassing 21000 in January. Confirmed daily cases in West Virginia surpassed 480 on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling below 400 on each of the previous four days. https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-west-virginia-00acaab70b952bbeb7efb9fea543a977 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Macau ordered any resident who holds a Philippine passport to take a daily nucleic acid test with officials singling them out as more at risk for infection even though they account for a small number of cases in a Covid19 wave thats abating. The testing regimen will start Friday health official Leong Iek Hou said at a briefing Thursday. Government data show Filipinos have accounted for 9.5 of the citys total Covid cases this outbreak Leong said. Our epidemiology research found they tend to have more gatherings like meetings among friends Leong said. Its likely that they have more interactions within their own ethnicity so we need to find out whether there are hidden sources of infections among them via frequent testing. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-21/macau-s-covid-zero-plan-now-targets-city-s-filipino-workers 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent on MSN.com The latest rise in the number of hospital patients in England testing positive for Covid19 looks to have come to a halt with figures levelling off slightly below the previous peak. A total of 13375 people with coronavirus were in hospital as of 8am on July 21 down 3 on the previous week. It is the second day in a row the total has shown a weekonweek fall. The rate of increase has been slowing steadily since the start of July after rising as high as 39. The figures suggest the impact of the current wave of Covid19 may be starting to ease and that patient levels will not reach the sort of levels seen during the surge in infections earlier this year. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/rise-in-covid-19-hospital-patients-in-england-levels-off/ar-AAZPhEM 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News People living in Walsall in the West Midlands are being urged to to wear masks and use sanitiser due to a rise Covid cases. Latest figures show there were 608 positive cases recorded in the seven days up to 10 July a 4.6 per cent increase on the previous week. The current rate in the town is 221 per 100000 population lower than the national rate of 309.4. People must do all they can to protect themselves public health bosses said. The total number of cases in the town is 96296. Nearly 3.5 million people or one in 18 has the virus up from 2.7m or one in 25 the week before. We continue to see a weekly increase in the number of positive cases in Walsall Stephen Gunther Walsalls Director of Public Health said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-62240396 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Its not your imagination As the rapidly spreading BA.5 coronavirus subvariant causes a surge in infections across the United States more people are catching Covid19 for the second or third time. But on average these reinfections do not seem to be happening more rapidly according to a new analysis from the gene sequencing company Helix. BA.5 another offshoot of the Omicron variant is now causing about 80 of new Covid19 infections in the United States according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Helix which sequences Covid19 tests to monitor variants recently plumbed its data to find out how many times the same person tested positive for Covid19 and whether there are more reinfections now compared to earlier waves. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/21/health/ba-5-more-reinfections/index.html 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The New York Times President Biden tested positive on Thursday for the coronavirus raising health concerns for the 79yearold president and underscoring how the virus remains a persistent if muted threat in a country trying to put the pandemic in the past. Karine JeanPierre the White House press secretary said in a statement that Mr. Biden had tested positive for Covid19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms. The president will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during this time she said. Dr. Kevin OConnor the presidents physician said in a letter released by the White House Thursday morning that Mr. Biden felt fatigued had a runny nose and an occasional dry cough and that his symptoms began on Wednesday evening. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/us/politics/biden-covid-positive.html 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Yahoo News UK Australia reported one of its highest daily death tolls from the novel coronavirus on Thursday while hospital admissions hovered near record levels as authorities struggle to get ahead of highly contagious Omicron variants. The BA.45 variants are good at evading immune protection from vaccination or prior infection and have been driving a surge of new infections globally. Australia is reporting the highest daily numbers since the first Omicron wave earlier this year with 89 deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday and 90 on Wednesday. Just over 55600 new cases were recorded on Thursday the highest since May 18. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said state leaders and federal health officials have not recommended making masks mandatory in indoor venues despite calls by some doctors to do so. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/australia-battles-fresh-omicron-outbreak-042441055.html 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Chinas southern megacity of Shenzhen vowed to mobilise all resources to curb a slowly spreading COVID19 outbreak ordering strict implementation of testing and temperature checks and lockdowns for COVIDaffected buildings. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reports-943-new-covid-cases-july-20-vs-1012-day-earlier-2022-07-21/ 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press Active cases of COVID19 hit their highest levels in West Virginia in five months Thursday. There were at least 3221 ongoing cases in the state the highest since 3339 on Feb. 24 according to the Department of Health and Human Resources COVID19 dashboard. Active cases statewide had plunged to 263 on April 4 after surpassing 21000 in January. Confirmed daily cases in West Virginia surpassed 480 on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling below 400 on each of the previous four days. https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-west-virginia-00acaab70b952bbeb7efb9fea543a977 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press Oregon health officials are urging people in 21 counties with high COVID19 cases including the three Portlandarea counties to return to mask wearing because the hospital system is again under extreme strain. While COVID19 hospitalizations are lower than past surges staff shortages patients who delayed care and elevated COVID19 infections have substantially reduced hospital systems capacity to care for patients The OregonianOregonLive reported. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-oregon-portland-aa2f753777c21ab75a6fb5fdb9943ae3 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100000 to experience an outbreak of COVID19. For more than twoandahalf years the Pacific archipelago managed to avoid any outbreaks thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls. Those people who flew into the country with the disease didnt spread it because all new arrivals were required to quarantine. But as has been the case in several other Pacific nations this year those defenses couldnt keep out the more transmissible omicron variant forever. https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-new-zealand-micronesia-99151c153e05d9528777c9b832dbd66c 21st Jul 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

CIDRAP Global COVID19 activity stayed high and largely even last week as deaths rose the World Health Organization WHO said today in its latest weekly update on the pandemic. In the United States the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC yesterday signed off on its advisory committees recommendation for the Novavax COVID19 vaccine primary series in those ages 18 years and older. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/07/global-covid-19-cases-plateau-deaths-rise 20th Jul 2022

New Lockdown

BBC News The Shanghai Masters is one of four 2022 mens tennis tournaments cancelled in China as the country continues its strict Covid19 restrictions. China hosted the Winter Olympics in February but most other international sporting events in the country have been cancelled or postponed in 2022. The womens tennis tour has no events scheduled in China this year as it seeks a resolution over Peng Shuai. Chinese authorities remain committed to a zeroCovid policy. As a result mens tennis governing body the ATP said events in China typically held in September and October would be cancelled for a third year. As well as the Shanghai Masters the Chengdu Open Zhuhai Championships and China Open will not take place with six ATP 250 tournaments elsewhere filling the gap in the 2022 calendar. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/62254326 21st Jul 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters The Shanghai Masters and three other mens tournaments in China will not be held this year due to COVID19 restrictions in the country the ATP Tour said on Thursday. China hosted the Winter Olympics under strict health protocols in February but almost every other international sporting event in the country this year has been cancelled or postponed. ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi told Reuters last month that the prospects of the 2022 China swing were bleak https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/atp-cancels-2022-events-china-due-covid-restrictions-2022-07-21/ 21st Jul 2022