Coronavirus Global Updates, Dec 23: Germany Has Record Deaths; Britain’s Lockdowns

Wed Dec 23 12:06:24 CAT 2020

Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 22 December 2020, Zimbabwe had 12 544 confirmed cases, including 10 159 recoveries and 326 deaths. 

Germany Has Record Deaths; Britain’s Lockdowns: Virus Update

Germany’s coronavirus deaths rose by 986, the most since the start of the pandemic. More areas of England would be ordered into lockdown under a plan being considered by the U.K. government to counter a faster-spreading variant of Covid-19. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a decision in the next couple of days, a government official said.

South Korea and the Philippines moved to temporarily suspend U.K. flights, while Japan is strengthening entry regulations for people traveling from Britain.

U.S. President Donald Trump  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-23/trump-indicates-he-might-not-sign-congress-virus-relief-package> signaled he may not sign a $900 billion coronavirus relief package after Congress passed it with bipartisan support. Pfizer Inc. is getting closer to completing a deal to supply the U.S. with as many as 100 million more doses of its vaccine, according to a person familiar with the matter.

 <https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/> 

Swiss Threaten U.K. Tourists With $11,000 Fine 
Switzerland has sent text messages to travelers from the U.K. and South Africa, asking them to adhere to the mandatory 10-day quarantine and not leave their residences to help prevent the spread of the mutated strain. Non-compliance will result in fines of as much as 10,000 francs ($11,249).

Dubai Rolls Out Free Vaccines as UAE Approves Pfizer Shot 
The United Arab Emirates approved the shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, and Dubai is starting a free vaccination campaign. The emergency registration in the UAE was in response to a request from Pfizer, state-run WAM reported. Two weeks ago, the country approved the shot developed by Sinopharm unit China National Biotec Group.

Thailand’s New Cases Ease 
Thailand reported 47 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, down 89% from Tuesday’s tally. None of the infections was among migrant workers from Myanmar, a sign an outbreak in seafood-processing plants in a province near Bangkok may be coming under control.

Malaysia to Double AstraZeneca Order Through Covax Deal 
Malaysia is set to secure an additional 6.4 million doses of the Astrazeneca Plc vaccine through the Covax facility, enough to inoculate 10% of the country’s population, Science and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said. This means the Southeast nation is doubling its order from the company, with the first batch expected in the second quarter of 2021, Khairy said.

U.K. to Discuss Bringing More Areas Under Strict Curbs 
The government will meet Wednesday to discuss moving more areas of the country into the highest Tier 4-level restrictions, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said in an interview with Sky News. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a decision in the “next couple of days,” Jenrick said.

Current regulations may change, he said. “If we need to change that in light of new variant, then we won’t hesitate to do so.”

France’s Griset: Restaurants’ Reopening Could Be Delayed
France could push back its target for a Jan. 20 reopening of restaurants, depending on how the pandemic develops, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Minister Alain Griset said in an interview with RTL radio.

“It is true that as the days go by, we can see that the numbers are not going down, this target could be delayed,” Griset said.

German Virus Deaths at Record High 
Germany reported a record 986 coronavirus deaths in the 24 hours through Wednesday morning, and cases jumped by 36,153, the second-biggest gain since the start of the pandemic.

The number of new infections took the total to 1.57 million, while fatalities climbed above 28,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day incidence rate has risen sharply in recent weeks and is at 195 per 100,000 inhabitants, close to a record, according to the RKI public health institute. Officials have said the rate needs to come down to 50 per 100,000.

Germany aims to start vaccinating on Dec. 27, with the very elderly and staff in care homes first in line.

Singapore Airlines Trials Digital Verification of Covid Tests, Vaccinations 
Singapore Airlines Ltd. has started trials on a new digital verification process that offers customers the ability to store and present information related to their coronavirus tests or vaccination status.

The verification process will be the first in the world to be based on the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass framework.

Beijing Says Almost 12,000 People Tested Negative 
All 11,993 people in the Chaoyang district of China’s capital tested for Covid-19 as of noon Monday were found to be free of the virus, according to a statement from the local government. That came after Beijing reported on Dec. 19 that two new local virus infections were linked to imported cases.

Asian Countries Suspend U.K. Flights, Strengthen Entry Regulations 
South Korea is suspending flights to and from the U.K. from Wednesday through Dec. 31, while the Philippines will halt U.K. flights from Thursday through Dec. 31 on concern about the new virus variant.

Japan will strengthen its entry regulations for travelers from the U.K. starting Thursday. New entry by foreigners traveling from the country won’t be allowed. Foreign nationals returning from the U.K. who are residents of Japan will be required to isolate for two weeks.

Returning Japanese citizens will need to provide proof of a negative virus test conducted 72 hours before departure. Those who fail to do so will be asked to quarantine for two weeks at a facility indicated by the government.

Mexico to Start Vaccinations 
Mexico will receive an initial batch of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, putting the country in a neck-and-neck race with Chile to become the first Latin American nation to apply the life-saving treatment.

Pfizer will send more than 1.4 million vaccines to Mexico by the end of January, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said during President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s daily press briefing in Mexico City. The first vaccinations will start on Thursday, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said at a later press conference.

Separately, Argentina approved emergency use of the Pfizer shot.

South Korea Cases Rise 
South Korea reported 1,092 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, rising again after infections briefly dipped below 1,000 in the previous two days.

South Korea has repeatedly prevented the coronavirus from spreading uncontrollably, applying its elite testing-and-tracing practices that have become a global model for managing the pandemic. Now the country is being tested as infections jumped above 1,000 for the first time earlier this month.

Trump Indicates He Might Not Sign Virus Relief Package 
President Trump signaled that he may not sign the $900 billion coronavirus relief package just one day after it was passed in Congress.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Trump said the bill included “wasteful and unnecessary” items and demanded that lawmakers increase the stimulus checks due to go out to most Americans from the “ridiculously low” amount of $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple.

“I am asking Congress to amend this bill,” Trump said, adding he wanted Congress to “send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package and maybe that administration will be me and we will get it done.”

Sydney Cluster Grows to 97, Lockdown Is Extended 
The cluster of Covid-19 infections in Sydney’s Northern Beaches has grown to 97, and a lockdown will be extended over Christmas to prevent the virus from spreading across the city, authorities announced Wednesday.

The area’s 250,000 residents won’t be allowed to leave the Northern Beaches but will be permitted to have five or 10 guests in their homes over Christmas, depending on whether they live in the worst-affected communities, New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters. Limits on guests allowed in homes have been slightly eased in the rest of the city, with children aged under 12 not counted among the cap of 10 adults.

Singapore May Give More Vaccine Rollout Details by January: ST 
Singapore may provide more details on its vaccination program as early as January, the Straits Times reported, citing Education Minister Lawrence Wong.

Wong, who co-chairs the nation’s task force on Covid-19, said that exact details will depend on variables including vaccines’ supply, delivery schedule and authorization for use, according to the newspaper’s report citing his comments made Tuesday to reporters.

NYSE Plans to Have Designated Market Makers Work Remotely 
The New York Stock Exchange plans to have designated market makers work remotely again amid a surge in coronavirus cases around the city. The temporary measure will take effect Monday with some exceptions, the venue said in an emailed statement.

The NYSE took similar precautions amid a spike in cases earlier this year. The specialists, as they’re known, typically facilitate activity in assigned stocks.

Pfizer Near Accord to Supply Additional Vaccine Doses to U.S
Pfizer is moving closer to finalizing a deal to supply the U.S. government with as many as 100 million more doses of the drugmaker’s coronavirus vaccine, a person familiar with the matter said.

Such a pact could expand the number of shots available to the government as it ramps up its immunization drive in the coming year. While talks were continuing on Tuesday evening, a deal could be announced as soon as Wednesday, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the discussions are private.

Houston ICUs Post 11% Jump in Virus Patients 
The Houston area’s intensive-care wards saw an 11% spike in virus patients during the past 24 hours that swelled the tally of the most acutely ill Covid-19 cases to a four-month high of 505. The number of ICU beds occupied by virus patients in the fourth-largest U.S. city and surrounding counties has more than doubled since the start of November, according to the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council.

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