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Germany dampens Christmas hopes; UK travel changes: virus update
(Bloomberg) – German Health Minister Jens Spahn has stifled optimism over a significant easing of virus restrictions by Christmas as the number of new cases in the country remains stubbornly high. The UK plans to announce changes to its 14-day quarantine rules for travelers. Japan may introduce stricter restrictions on viruses after suffering record-breaking infections on Thursday. South Korea reported 191 new cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest gain in 10 weeks, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. California has passed 1 million infections as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said almost no part of the country is spared from the wave. However, the death rate for infected people in the United States has dropped by 30 percent since April due to improved treatment, according to a study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation. Total deaths in the United States will still reach 439,000 by March, surpassing 2,200 per day in mid-January, the researchers said. Key Developments: Global Tracker: Cases exceed 52.8 million; Deaths exceed 1.29 million Tesla Musk says he could have Covid-19, calls the tests ‘fake’ Japan still has worst day of Covid cases amid winter wave fears China is under pressure to reveal Covid-19 vaccine data White House is spurring Congress with the entry of Biden fray Saving Christmas from Covid is a key mission for Britain Podcast: what to expect from the virus and vaccine rush Vaccine Tracker: Encouraging Finds Offer Hope Sign up for a daily update on the virus from the Bloomberg Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths. German Dent Cases Hope Restrictions Loosen in December (4pm HK) German Health Minister Jens Spahn cooled off optimism about potential loosening of restrictions next month, saying infection numbers aren’t there. get off enough. He also said the government had never promised that life would return to normal in December. The country had a near-record high of 24,738 new cases as of Friday morning. On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 state premieres will review current measures, including a ban on non-essential travel and the closure of bars and restaurants. The ongoing partial closure will bring about 20 billion euros ($ 24 billion). in lower revenue this month for affected industries, according to Marcel Fratzscher, president of the research institute DIW. “The big concern is that companies have cut back on investment and consumers are actually saving more,” despite the government’s stimulus efforts, Fratzscher said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.UK to announce the new measures “very soon”. Travel Quarantine (3:46 pm HK) The UK will unveil changes to 14-day travel quarantine measures “very soon,” transport secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News. The government is “actively working” to reduce quarantine and self-isolation periods for international travelers, he said. Separately, the UK has removed most of Greece from its travel corridor list following a significant increase in coronavirus cases. The United Arab Emirates, Iceland and Chile were among the countries added to the travel corridors, while the travel ban in Denmark was extended by 14 days following a coronavirus outbreak in mink farms, according to one. government statement on Thursday The world’s largest fur auction house to be liquidated (2:20 pm HK) Kopenhagen Fur, the world’s largest fur auction house, is closing after the Danish government ordered a Mass culling of the country’s mink in an effort to combat a coronavirus mutation. The 90-year-old company still has enough skins to hold auctions next year and possibly even in the future, but will begin liquidating the business later, according to a statement. Tesla’s Musk says it tested positive for Covid (14:17 HK) Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said he had four Covid-19 tests and two had tested positive on his website. The founder of the world’s # 1 electric car maker also said on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms of a “typical cold”. Nothing unusual so far. “India will receive 100 million Astra shots next month (13:52 HK) The largest vaccine manufacturer in the world is ramping up production of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine, aiming for 100 million doses. ready by December for a If final phase trial data shows AstraZeneca candidate offers effective protection from the virus, the Serum Institute of India Ltd., which is a partner in manufacturing at least one billion doses, could get Cleared from New Delhi by December, said Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of the family-owned company based in the western city of Pune. Russia will produce 150 million doses per year in South Korea (13:15 HK). Russian Direct The fund reached an agreement with South Korean pharmaceutical company GL Rapha to produce more than 150 million doses per year of its first registered Covid-19 vaccines, Sputnik V, according to the Twitter account of the vaccine. Production will start in December and go there will be distributed globally. Drones Check Crowds on Sydney Beaches (12:45 pm HK) The search for a safe summer for Covid is becoming high-tech. Surf patrol guards at some of Sydney’s iconic beaches use aerial drones to check Swimmers are equidistant on the sand and are trying to avoid repetition of scenes in the early days of the pandemic when authorities were forced to shut down Bondi Beach and others points after thousands of people poured into the coast, with many ignoring social distancing rules IMF sees green shoots of economic recovery (10:15 HK) Actions by governments and central banks have put a floor under the world economy, IMF chief executive Kristalina Georgieva said, warning nations against withdrawing support too soon. “Due to the decisive action of governments and central banks, we have managed to put a floor under the world economy,” he said Friday in a message recorded at the Caixin summit in Beijing. “We are seeing the green shoots of recovery.” Death Rate in the United States Has Dropped 30%, Says IHME (10:07 HK) The death rate of infected people in the United States has dropped 30% since April due to improved treatment, a study from University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found that researchers predict total deaths in the United States will reach 439,000 by March next year, having surpassed 2,200 per day in mid-January as the number of cases increases. That prediction includes 33 states resetting far-reaching social distancing warrants, and successful treatment in the future may become more difficult as hospitalizations increase. Eleven states are expected to experience “extreme stress” on general hospital beds from December to February. Mexico’s virus infections surged to 991,835 (9:21 am HK) Mexico reported 5,658 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 991,835, according to data released Thursday evening by the health ministry. Deaths increased from 626 to 97,056. JPMorgan Increases Demand for Stocks in Case of Vaccine Breaks (8:56 HK) Strategists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their exposure to global equities and moved further away from sovereign bonds, defining positive vaccine news from this week a “game changer” for the markets. According to a team that includes Marko Kolanovic, the breakthrough will allow investors to look beyond the resurgence of coronavirus cases towards the end of the pandemic and the wider reopening of the global economy. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, strengthening JPMorgan’s bullish view was a positive third quarter earnings season and a favorable election outcome in the U.S. California Top 1 Million Cases (8:16 am HK) , California has passed 1 million coronavirus cases. The state, which is home to some 40 million residents, only drags Texas to reach the milestone. California was home to one of the first Covid-19 outbreaks and the first to enact a statewide lockdown in March. only to see infections soar in the summer. Like the rest of the United States, it is seeing a resurgence of the virus after an autumn hiatus, with its 14-day average of new cases rising 76% in the past month. Nearly a third of California cases are found in Los Angeles County, the most populous. The state has had more than 18,000 deaths from the virus, behind only New York and Texas. Ivy League Cancels Winter Sports Season (7:59 am HK) Ivy League Athletics Conference is canceling its winter sports season , as the Covid-19 pandemic forces schools to rethink activities in person as infections are on the rise in the U.S. The league, home to Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities, will not conduct competitions for fall sports during the next spring semester he said Thursday in a statement. The intercollegiate athletics competition for spring sports is postponed to at least the end of February. CDC: Virus Rising Almost Everywhere in US (17:49 NY) Covid-19 cases are increasing in 94% of US jurisdictions and the metropolitan area rate is more than double that in urban areas, according to the US Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention Test Surge May Caus Delays, Lab Group Warns (16:55 NY) The American Clinical Laboratory Association, which represents large laboratories such as Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings and Quest Diagnostics Inc., have warned that ‘Increased demand for Covid-19 tests could push some labs above or beyond capacity, delaying test results. Lab members performed a record 495,000 polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests for Covid -19 on Wednesday and while they are working to expand capacity, labs have faced difficulties in obtaining supplies such as pipette tips. , according to the group. Biden Adviser Doubts National Lockdown (3:42 PM NY) A member of the US president-el Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force said Thursday that it does not consider a nationwide lockdown necessary. Céline Gounder’s comments drifted away from epidemiologist Michael Osterholm’s comments the day before. “With all due respect to Dr. Osterholm, this doesn’t necessarily represent the entire advisory committee or what the Biden-Harris transition team has plans to do,” Gounder said on CNN. He said that “maybe there are some places where you need to be more draconian, but I don’t really think it’s a national policy.” Osterholm told Yahoo Finance a four- to six-week lockdown combined with a tax package to support workers, businesses and local governments could help contain the virus. For more articles like this, visit bloomberg.com Sign up now to keep up to date with the most reliable source of economic news. © 2020 Bloomberg LP
