Coronavirus Global Updates, Apr 20 ::: Modi Under Fire for Rallies; New Zealand Case

Tue Apr 20 12:45:44 CAT 2021

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Coronavirus Global Updates, Apr 20 ::: Modi Under Fire for Rallies; New Zealand Case

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Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 19 April 2021, Zimbabwe had 37 859 confirmed cases, including 35 031 recoveries and 1553 deaths. To date, a total of 280 568 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Modi Under Fire for Rallies; New Zealand Case: Virus Update
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces growing criticism for holding large election rallies as the country’s health system reels from a deadly wave of Covid-19 cases. A New Zealand border worker has tested positive.

Thailand is moving to begin local production of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine and is in talks with Pfizer Inc. for its shot. Kenya is in talks to buy Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson’s shots. Singapore is considering Covid-19 breathalysers.

Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble could start in May despite new virus variants, according to media reports. The U.S. State Department plans to caution against travel to about 80% of the world.

Kenya in Talks for Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson Doses
Kenya is in  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRUKNNT1UM10> advanced negotiations to buy Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines for delivery later this year, the Star newspaper reported, citing Willis Akhwale, head of the country’s Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Taskforce.

South Korea in Talks With U.S. on Vaccine Swap 
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong told lawmakers that Seoul and Washington are in discussions about a  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRUMWET0AFB4> “vaccine swap,” without elaborating.

Thailand in Talks With Pfizer for Doses 
Thailand  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRULART0AFB5> remains in talks to find additional vaccines for the nation’s inoculation drive, with the National Vaccine Institute in talks with Pfizer Inc., Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said Tuesday.

Thailand may get 5 million to 10 million doses from Pfizer, with talks continuing and awaiting a final price, he said.

Thailand also is on course to begin local production of AstraZeneca Plc vaccines and will be able to produce a first lot of shots in June, according to the government.

The country on Tuesday reported 1,443 new Covid-19 infections and four new deaths.

India’s Covid Variants
Want to know more about the virus variant emerging in India? Watch this interview with Stephen Goldstein from the University of Utah on Bloomberg QuickTake.

H.K.-Singapore Travel Bubble 
A quarantine-free  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRUKCTDWRGG0> travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will go ahead and could start in May despite mutated coronavirus strain, South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people. Two cities are set to outline plans in the next couple of days.

Earlier, Hong Kong government adviser and respiratory expert David Hui told broadcaster RTHK that both cities should address mutant virus strain before starting travel bubble.

Pfizer Backed Down From Demand That Was ‘Risk’ to S. Africa 
Deliveries of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine to South Africa were delayed by demands from the U.S. drugmaker that it determine the guarantees needed to indemnify the company from any negative effects from the shots.

The condition was resisted by the government and Pfizer eventually  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-19/pfizer-backed-down-from-demand-that-posed-risk-to-south-africa> backed down, agreeing to supply 30 million doses of the vaccine co-developed with Germany’s BioNTech SE.

China BioNTech Vaccine Approval Expected 
China is  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-20/u-s-chamber-expects-china-to-approve-biontech-s-vaccine-in-june> expected to approve BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine in June, according to the head of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, Ker Gibbs.

The Shanghai government has told the group, known as AmCham, that it expects the shot to be approved “somewhere in the June time frame,” he said, citing a direct conversation with the Vice Mayor Zong Ming. “We think before July,” Gibbs said. “We’re not going to hold her to June 1st or June 30th, but in that time frame is what we’re expecting.”

Modi Under Fire for Campaigning Amid Virus Deaths 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-19/modi-under-fire-for-campaigning-as-india-reels-from-virus-deaths> growing criticism across the political spectrum for holding large election rallies as the country’s health system reels from a deadly wave of Covid-19 cases, forcing citizens to beg for oxygen and hospital beds on Twitter.

Modi avoided wearing a mask at a campaign rally on Saturday, saying “I’ve never seen such huge crowds” at an event in West Bengal. That night he said “India had defeated Covid last year and India can do it again” following a virtual meeting with health officials who spoke of critical shortages of drugs, vaccines and other supplies in a nation that has seen a string of new daily records in the past two weeks.

Leaders of key states lashed out at Modi over the weekend, while the opposition Congress party called off campaigning in West Bengal due to the virus surge.

India has had more than 15 million confirmed virus cases and more than 180,000 related deaths, according to government data. Meanwhile, Pakistan has banned travelers from India over the virus’s spread.

Auckland Border Worker Tests Positive 
A border worker at Auckland International Airport has returned a positive test result for Covid-19, the Ministry of Health said in an emailed statement.

The worker was “fully vaccinated, quite early on in the campaign,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Tuesday. The person had been tested twice, on April 12 and 19, as part of normal procedure, she said.

Japan Seeks Blood Clot Data for Astra Assessment: Asahi 
Japan’s health ministry is asking AstraZeneca to provide additional data on blood clots as it assesses its vaccine for approval, the Asahi newspaper  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRU6BCT1UM0W> reported, without saying who provided the information. Approval was expected as soon as May but could be delayed as a result, Asahi said.

Singapore May Adopt Covid-19 Breathalysers
Singapore is working with a local medical-technology firm on potential mass usage of Covid-19 breathalysers for safe travel arrangements and screenings at large-scale events, the Straits Times  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRU4RLT1UM0W> reported Tuesday.

Silver Factory Technology is working with the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Changi Airport Group and security firm Certis to develop the tool. Testing has started, the paper said, citing the company.

Breathalyser tests are less invasive, cheaper, and can deliver results in two minutes or less, Changi Airport’s senior vice president Albert Lim was cited as saying.

Philippines Clears Vaccines From J&J, India’s Bharat 
The Philippines has  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-19/philippines-clears-j-j-bharat-vaccines-for-emergency-use-cnn> authorized the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine days after the U.S. suspended use due to a rare side effect.

The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration approved J&J’s application, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said at a televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night. It’s eyeing up to 10 million doses from J&J, Galvez said.

India-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd.’s vaccine was also approved for emergency use, CNN Philippines said, citing Philippine FDA head Eric Domingo. Vaccines from Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca Plc., Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and Russia’s Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology were earlier given similar approvals.

The Philippines is pushing to speed up inoculations and targeting to vaccinate all adults amid a new surge in coronavirus infections that has dimmed its economic outlook.

Malaysia Tightens Interstate Travel Rules 
Travel between different states will only be allowed for work, medical reasons, education, emergencies, death of immediate family members, and married couples living apart, according to a  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QRU3P6T1UM11> statement from the Malaysian police late Monday.

Travelling between states for social purposes, such as attending weddings and feasts, is not permitted. This ruling will remain in effect until after Eid celebrations.

Emergent Told to Stop J&J Vaccine Production 
 <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/EBS:US> Emergent BioSolutions Inc. was told by U.S. regulators to stop making Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine at a plant where 15 million doses worth of a key ingredient had to be discarded, adding to roadblocks preventing wider use the single-dose shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration began inspecting a plant in Baltimore on April 12 where Emergent was making the drug substance used in the J&J vaccine. Four days later, the FDA asked the company to stop making new materials there and quarantine existing materials until the inspection and any remediation are concluded, according to a company filing.

Use of J&J’s vaccine has been paused in the U.S. since last week as health officials probe a possible link to life-threatening blood clots. The halt at Emergent could add to questions about how many Americans will ultimately receive J&J’s shot even if it’s found to be safe.

Cadila Looks to Double Vaccine Capacity 
Indian drugmaker Cadila Healthcare Ltd., which expects regulatory approval for its vaccine by June, will potentially ramp up capacity to 240 million annual doses as the South Asian nation races to contain the world’s fastest-growing coronavirus outbreak.

Cadila is expecting efficacy readings from its last stage of clinical trials in May, Sharvil Patel, the family-run firm’s managing director, said in an interview. If that data is promising, the drugmaker may double its vaccine making capabilities and is banking on a new local factory that will likely be commissioned next month, according to Patel.

State Department to Caution Against Travel 
The U.S. State Department is changing the way it issues travel advisories to reflect the prevalence of the coronavirus in countries around the world, in a move it said will result in about 80% of the world’s nations being considered no-go zones.

Travel advisories will be updated to better reflect health notices issued by the Centers for Disease Control and will also take into account metrics including the prevalence of testing and domestic travel restrictions, the Department said in a statement. The advisories, which rank countries on a scale of 1 to 4, aren’t binding.

The State Department raised the global travel advisory to Level 4 on March 19, 2020 an unprecedented move as the U.S. and the rest of the world sought to bring the virus under control. That blanket warning was lifted last August, though many nations continue to restrict travel from the U.S.

INVESTORS DIARY 2021

Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

BAT

AGM

Cresta Lodge, Msasa

30/04/21 10am

Workers Day

	01/05/21

FCB

AGM 

virtual

06/05/21 : 3pm

NMB

AGM

virtual

1205/21 :  3:30pm

Africa Day

25/05/21

Public Holiday in lieu of Independence Day falling on a Sunday

19/04/21

Companies under Cautionary

ART

PPC

Dairibord

Starafrica

Fidelity

Turnall

Medtech

Zimre

Nampak Zimbabwe

DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls ‘n Bears, a division of Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities. The information contained in this report has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than the securities of more established companies. Neither Faith Capital nor any other member of Bulls ‘n Bears nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Recipients of this report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of any companies referred to in this report. Other  Indices quoted herein are for guideline purposes only and sourced from third parties.

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