Coronavirus Global Updates 04 August ::: India braced for yet another surge in cases; Delta Spikes Herd Immunity Threshold to Over 80%

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Coronavirus Global Updates 04 August  :::  India braced for yet another surge in cases; Delta Spikes Herd Immunity Threshold to Over 80%

 

	
 



Zimbabwe COVID19 Update


COVID-19 update: As at 03 August 2021, Zimbabwe had 112 435 confirmed cases, including 81 570 recoveries and 3 676 deaths. To date, a total of 1 707 671 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19.




 


Delta Spikes Herd Immunity Threshold to Over 80%: Virus Update


The spread of the delta coronavirus variant has pushed the threshold for herd immunity to well over 80% and potentially almost 90%, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said.

Indonesia is effectively ditching its bid for herd immunity as delta pushes the threshold beyond reach. Thailand had record deaths and cases, while Australia found an infection in the far-north city of Cairns. Macau is shutting bars and cinemas, and there’s growing concern about the outbreak in mainland China.

 


B.C. reports 742 new COVID-19 cases over 4 days as total case count tops 150K new cases of COVID-19 over the past four days along with one death.




There were 160 cases from Friday to Saturday, while 196 cases were reported from Saturday to Sunday, 185 from Sunday to Monday and 201 from Monday to Tuesday. Two of the cases were epi-linked.

More than half of the new cases were in the Interior Health region, which recorded 395 infections. Of the remaining cases, 115 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 165 were in the Fraser Health region, 42 were in Island Health, and 24 were in Northern Health. One new case involved a person who resides outside of Canada.

There are 53 people in hospital with the disease, an increase of six from Friday. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care rose by three to 19.

There have been 150,631 total cases since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 1,544 are active.

The death, which was in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, brings the province’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,772.

officials to release August long weekend COVID-19 case numbers

B.C. officials to release August long weekend COVID-19 case numbers

The province said Tuesday that 81.4 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and older have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 67.3 per cent have received two doses.

During its last update on Friday, the province reported 243 new cases, with more than half in the Interior Health region.


UK government set to decide on jabs for 16- and 17-year-olds


Sixteen and 17-year-olds in England are expected to soon be offered Covid-19 vaccines, with the UK advisory body set to issue guidance on the move “imminently”, a minister has said.

Only adolescents living with severe underlying health conditions or with a family member who is clinically vulnerable have so far been offered a jab in the UK.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the UK government, said last month that “the minimal health benefits of offering universal Covid-19 vaccination to children do not outweigh the potential risks”.

That advice may be about to change, however. “Very soon we will hear from the JCVI,” universities minister Michelle Donelan told Sky News on Wednesday. “They will give us their advice on what should be the future rollout, if any, for 16 and 17-year-olds.

“I’m not going to pre-empt a policy announcement that we’re awaiting imminently” she said, adding that the JCVI would outline further details shortly.

The UK government offered vaccinations to all over-18s in mid-June, yet the relatively low take-up of jabs among young people has alarmed ministers. Uber, Bolt and Deliveroo this week were enlisted to offer discounts and incentives to customers who get a vaccine.

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14 MINUTES AGO08:57


Ryanair flight traffic doubled in July


The number of people taking Ryanair flights doubled in July as travel restrictions eased around Europe.

Traffic at the low-cost carrier jumped from 4.4m in June to 9.3m in July, reflecting the vaccine rollout across the bloc and the introduction of an EU-wide digital travel pass.

The digital pass allows European citizens to travel across the bloc without having to quarantine, and was designed to help boost tourism over the summer.


UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey raises full-year profit target


Taylor Wimpey has upgraded its profit targets for the year as the UK’s housing market booms on the back of government support, low interest rates and shifting consumer demand.

The FTSE 100 housebuilder said on Wednesday that it had built a record number of homes in the six months to July 4, with almost all of those pre-sold. As a result, it expected to hit an operating profit for 2021 of around £820m, above the top end of analysts’ consensus estimates.

The company swung to a pre-tax profit for the six-month period of £287.5m, helping the housebuilder recover from a £40m loss in the equivalent period of 2020. That was despite a £125m exceptional cost to cover the repair of any Taylor Wimpey buildings affected by a building safety crisis, triggered by the 2017 fire at the Grenfell tower in west London.

UK builders have benefited from a surge in house sales and prices over the past eight months. Low interest rates and an increase in household savings as a result of the pandemic have driven similar phenomena around the world. The UK government meanwhile has fanned the market with a stamp duty holiday and other support for buyers.

The average price of one of Taylor Wimpey’s private homes rose 6.5 per cent on a year earlier to £327,000, more than offsetting increases in the costs of building materials as a result of the pandemic’s impact on supply chains.


India’s services and manufacturing activity climbs


India’s services and manufacturing activity picked up in July, a sign that the economy is reviving after this year’s devastating Covid-19 wave though a low vaccination rate leaves the country vulnerable.

India’s services purchasing managers’ index rose from 41.2 in June to 45.4 in July, according to IHS Markit, while the manufacturing PMI rose to a multi-month high of 55.3.

But economists warn that any recovery remains tentative. While cases have receded from a high of more than 400,000 a day in May, infections in parts of the country are rising again.

“India’s low vaccination coverage leaves the economy exposed to fresh virus outbreaks,” said Capital Economics in a note. “It’s too early to tell if this is the start of a new national virus wave but threat is clear.”


Majority of Covid test providers unaccredited, says UK assessor


The UK body appointed to assess Covid-19 tests for travellers entering England says it has accredited only about 6 per cent of private test providers listed on an official government website.

Under England’s traffic light system for international travel — due to be reviewed by the government this week — people coming to the country from green and amber-list destinations must take at least one laboratory analysed PCR Covid-19 test to avoid fines of up to £2,000.

To help travellers find a test provider, the government publishes an online list of companies and clinics which offer on-site or at-home tests for those who need to show they are free of Covid in order to be released from quarantine.

On Tuesday the list for travellers requiring day two and day eight tests, for example, included 415 providers offering tests at prices ranging from £20 to £575.

But the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), which took over the role of overseeing private Covid testing from the Care Quality Commission in January following a change of law, said only a fraction of those on the list had been granted full accreditation.


Report criticises UK’s Covid-19 education policies


A “refusal” to make contingency plans was the “most unforgivable” element of the UK government’s handling of education during the pandemic, according to a damning report detailing widespread failures. 

In the findings, based on interviews with senior officials, the Institute for Government, a think-tank, on Wednesday laid out what happened behind the scenes in a year of policy twists and turns as schools struggled to keep up with conflicting advice from ministers. 

The account paints an unflattering picture of both the Department for Education and Downing Street, suggesting both were opposed to local authorities and fixated on centralisation.


Vietnam counts on help from religious movements


Vietnam is counting on support from religious groups to help Ho Chi Minh City through its worsening Covid-19 outbreak, a sign of desperation from the ruling Communist party that rarely hobnobs with the old foe of Marxism.

More than 1,000 Catholic nuns and priests as well as Buddhist monks with medical skills have taken part in a government programme to combat the pandemic as the death toll rises sharply in the country’s largest city.

On Monday more than 7,000 new cases were recorded across the nation, with 4,264 of them in Ho Chi Minh City, which is also the country’s main economic engine.

Historically, communism and religion — “the opiate of the masses,” according to Karl Marx — have been at odds. But in Vietnam, the party and religious groups have long maintained delicate relations, with some sects having flocks comparable in size to the party’s membership.

There are about 7m Catholics, including 30,000 priests, clergymen and nuns, and about 5m Buddhists in Vietnam. The party also has about 5m members.

“The participation of religious organisations would be a source of timely support,” said To Thi Bich Chau, chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, a grassroots group affiliated with the party. 

“Volunteers deserve to be respected, and citizens always put their trust in religious volunteers,” Chau said at an event to welcome religious volunteers to the pandemic’s front lines.


JFK airport to add $3.9bn international terminal


A new $3.9bn terminal will be built at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport in a return of public-private partnerships grounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and airport operator JFK Millennium Partners have agreed on a plan to build a new international Terminal 6 on the north side of the airport. 

The project was initially supposed to break ground in 2020. “The extraordinary level of private investment had been threatened by the impact of the Covid-19 on air travel and future projections for the industry,” New York state governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. 

The 1.2m square foot new terminal would be privately financed by JFK Millennium Partners and built on the sites of the former Terminal 6, which was demolished in 2011, and the ageing Terminal 7, which will be torn down after British Airways relocates to Terminal 8.

In October 2018, the Port Authority said it was negotiating development of two international terminals, one each on the airport’s north and south sides, that would increase the airport’s capacity by at least 15m passengers a year. 

However, the start of these public-private partnerships was delayed by the pandemic and its severe impact on air travel.

Passenger volumes at JFK declined by as much as 98 per cent during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and have only recently increased to levels that still remain 25-30 per cent down from pre-pandemic figures.

Cuomo said the financial impact of Covid-19 is projected to result in a $3bn revenue loss for the Port Authority over the course of 24 months from March 2020 to March 2022.


Vaccine missteps keep Australia in virus’s grip


Ken McCroary has been racing to vaccinate as many people as possible during the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney. But he has been battling a problem that has blighted Australia’s inoculation programme: hesitancy towards the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after reports it caused blood clots in a rare number of cases. 

“People call our practice and say they want Pfizer not the ‘blood clot vaccine’,” said McCroary, who works as a doctor in Campbelltown, a suburb with among the lowest vaccination rates in the country. “People are terrified of getting blood clots even though the risks are extremely rare.” 

Australia has 12m doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine but almost half are unused, while stocks of BioNTech/Pfizer’s jab are in short supply. That has resulted in an inoculation programme that has proceeded at a glacial pace — just over 15 per cent of Australians are fully jabbed, one of the lowest rates in the developed world.


San Francisco launches jabs-at-home programme


San Francisco will deploy mobile vaccination units to jab groups of five to 12 people in their homes and workplaces against coronavirus, the city said on Tuesday. 

Since February, the units have been vaccinating homebound people, senior citizens in residential facilities, and the homeless in the California city.

“Our response [to Covid-19] continues to lead with equity by removing barriers and ensuring everyone has easy access to this life saving vaccine,” said London Breed, mayor of San Francisco. 

“Now, we can provide a mobile unit to go right to your door when you gather a few friends, family members or coworkers.”

The unit has administered about 6,000 doses throughout the city.

“While vaccination rates are high overall throughout San Francisco, we are still concerned about our communities that have a lower vaccination uptake,” said Grant Colfax, the city’s health director. 

“With the surge in cases due to the Delta variant, getting vaccinated as soon as possible is more important than ever. Innovative programmes like this will help us.”

Colfax said the mobile units would provide the Johnson & Johnson Janssen, Moderna and BioNTech/Pfizer jabs.


NSW records 233 new cases as Delta spreads


New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, recorded 233 locally acquired cases of Covid-19, up from 199 a day earlier, according to health department data, as the highly infectious Delta strain continues to spread.

Of the new cases, at least 47 spent time in the community while infectious, Gladys Berejiklian, state premier, said, indicating that the surge of new cases was far from over.

NSW also recorded one of the country’s youngest fatalities, an unvaccinated man in his 20s who died at home in a south-western suburb of Sydney. 

“Obviously our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” Berejiklian said. “But it demonstrates again how this disease is lethal, how it affects people of all ages.”

Kerry Chant, the state’s chief health officer, said the man was being treated at home but “suddenly deteriorated”.

A Sydney woman in her 80s also died, bringing the state’s toll to 16.

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4 HOURS AGO05:41


Thai baht wilts as virus wreaks havoc


Thailand’s baht has gone from being one of Asia’s strongest currencies before the pandemic to one of its worst performers this year as the coronavirus crisis ravages its crucial tourism sector. 

The Thai currency is down more than 9 per cent against the dollar since the end of 2020, placing it among this year’s weakest performers globally alongside peers such as the Turkish lira and Peruvian sol. 

The loss of tourism dollars on which Thailand’s economy relies, combined with a wave of Covid-19 infections that has quashed hopes of a quick economic recovery, have turned formerly bullish buyers of its assets into bears. 


India braces for new expansion of pandemic


New Covid-19 cases have begun to trend upwards in several parts of India, stoking anxieties about the prospects for a fresh surge in a country still recovering from the most recent devastating wave.

Indian health officials say the country’s reproduction rate — the number of people to which each infected person passes the virus — has risen above 1, indicating the pandemic is now in an expansionary phase again after weeks of decline.

Health officials have identified eight regions of concern, where the infection is growing: the states of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu, and the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.

The south-western state of Kerala is currently the hardest hit, with 23,676 new infections reported on Tuesday, and a test positivity rate of nearly 12 per cent.

A recent national seroprevalence study found that the population of Kerala, a coastal state popular among tourists, had the lowest rate of exposure to the virus of any part of the country, leaving ample opportunity for the virus to spread among people with no immunity.

Though the study found that two-thirds of India’s population had exposure to the virus — highlighting its vast spread since the pandemic began — just 44 per cent of people in Kerala had signs of past exposure, possibly reflecting more successful previous control efforts.

India is currently administering around 4.8m Covid-19 jabs a day, with just under 8 per cent of its population fully vaccinated, and 28 per cent of the population having received at least one dose.


Singapore millennials and Gen-Z ramp up investing


Singapore millennials and Gen-Z investors remain very optimistic about investing during the coronavirus pandemic and are confident about their prospects, according to a new study.

Franklin Templeton’s inaugural Next-Gen Investor Survey found that over the past 18 months, 80 per cent of respondents continued to invest during the Covid-19 crisis, while an even higher 88 per cent were thinking about investing over the next year.

About 37 per cent had a monthly personal income of less than S$3,000 (US$2,219), with 31 per cent taking home between S$3,000 and S$5,999, 20 per cent making between S$6,000 and S$9,999, and 11 per cent collecting more than S$10,000 monthly. 

The online survey examined the investing motivations, intentions and aspirations of Singapore millennials, aged 25 to 35, and Gen-Z, aged 18 to 24, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 502 respondents and the survey was conducted from March 19 to April 6.

A promising finding for the industry is that 83 per cent of respondents are habitual monthly savers and half set aside some of their income specifically for investing, with the average yearly investment clocking in at just over S$18,000. The majority, 56 per cent, also prefer saving via dollar-cost averaging, while 24 per cent are lump sum allocators.

But while these young investors are keen on saving, most also have high expectations for investment returns. More than half expect annual returns of more than 10 per cent, and a third expect returns of 5-10 per cent. Another 15 per cent expect 1-5 per cent returns.

The traditional 60 per cent equities, 40 per cent fixed income asset allocation model is favoured by 57 per cent of respondents, while 23 per cent tap asset allocation strategies and 20 per cent have no strategy. More than 33 per cent of respondents own stocks, with that asset class remaining the most popular option over the next 12 months.


South Korea’s daily cases set record outside Seoul


South Korea’s daily coronavirus infections soared to more than 1,700 as the highly transmissible Delta variant undermines the country’s battle to contain the latest surge of the pandemic during the summer holiday season.

The country reported 1,725 new cases on Wednesday, as the number of infections outside the Seoul metropolitan area hit a record, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The government plans to decide whether to extend the country’s strictest anti-virus curbs on Friday with many experts saying the restrictions are likely to be extended for two more weeks at least.

The country has reported 2,109 more cases of four major contagious variants over the past week, including 1.928 cases of the Delta variant.

Health authorities are speeding up their vaccination drive as more shipments of BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines arrive in the country this month. 

Nearly 40 per cent of the country’s 51m population have received their first shots of Covid-19 vaccines with only 14 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated.

Younger people are likely to be inoculated from later this month with about 18m people aged 18-49 to receive their first jabs from August 26 to September 30.

The government aims to administer the first shots to 70 per cent of its population by September to form herd immunity by November.


Another Louisiana governor staffer tests positive


A staff member of the Louisiana governor’s office tested positive for Covid-19, the south-eastern US state’s government announced on Tuesday. 

The employee is the fourth person in the office of John Bel Edwards to return a positive test result in the past three days. No other employees were exposed, Edwards’ office said. 

“The employee is at home in isolation, per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Louisiana Department of Health,” according to a statement. 

“The governor’s office has a high rate of fully vaccinated staff and practices all CDC and LDH-recommended mitigation measures, including indoor masking, quarantine and isolation, and Covid-19 testing after exposure,” the statement added.


Thai cases exceed 20,000 in a day for first time


Thailand’s daily Covid-19 cases have surpassed 20,000 for the first time, as it fights to contain new infections blamed mostly on the virus’s more contagious Delta variant.

The kingdom on Wednesday reported 20,200 new infections and 188 deaths, also a daily record. Much of Thailand remains in semi-lockdown, with strict restrictions on movement, travel, and business openings in place.

Cases are now coming down in the capital and main business hub Bangkok but infections in other provinces are increasing, Thailand’s Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration said this week.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, prime minister, has promised to reopen the country to vaccinated international visitors for the first time since March 2020, a crucial step needed to revise tourism, but the target is in doubt because of rising infections.

More than half of Thailand’s more than 650,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded since the beginning of July.


Queensland cuts school staff to bare minimum


The Australian state of Queensland has ordered that schools allow only the “absolute minimum” number of employees to attend from Wednesday to minimise the spread of the deadly Covid-19 Delta variant.

More than 11 local government areas are under lockdown and attendance at state schools is estimated at just 6-7 per cent this week. Only children of essential workers and vulnerable children are able to attend.

Jeannette Young, the state’s chief health officer, urged schools to arrange children in small groups of five to 10 wherever possible to minimise any potential health risks. 

“This is particularly important in high schools,” said Grace Grace, Queensland’s health minister.

“Queensland has done so well in keeping Covid-19 out of our schools up until now, but the Delta variant is a different situation, and we have to tackle its spread in a different way,” she added.


Pakistan administers more than 1m jabs in a day


Pakistan officials said on Tuesday that more than 1m coronavirus vaccinations had been administered in a day for the first time.

Islamabad, the capital, became the first city with a population of 1m or more to give at least one dose to half of its population.

“[I’m] happy to report that the target we had set for 1m vaccinations in a day was crossed yesterday with [1,072,000] vaccinations,” said Asad Umar, the minister responsible for coordinating Pakistan’s Covid-19 response.

Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces had set jab rate records, Umar wrote on Twitter.

He said Peshawar and Rawalpindi had each vaccinated 35 per cent of the population. The laggards included Faisalabad with 28 per cent, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sargodha with 27 per cent each, Karachi 26 per cent and Hyderabad 25 per cent.

The country logged 3,582 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours compared with 4,858 cases on Monday and 5,026 on Sunday, according to health ministry data.

With the new infections, Pakistan’s overall case count passed 1m, while the death toll climbed to 23,529 with another 67 fatalities identified on Tuesday.

More than 31m Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Pakistan, but only 7m of the country’s 216m people are fully jabbed.


Arkansas governor seeks loophole in mask ban


Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson said on Tuesday he would convene the state legislature to create an exception to the recently passed bill that prohibits state and local authorities from requiring people to wear a mask. 

Hutchinson said he wanted the legislature, which would resume its session on Wednesday, to allow public school boards flexibility to protect school children who are aged 11 and younger and not eligible for a vaccine.

The governor said the proposed revision would grant each school board the authority to decide whether to require students younger than 12 to wear a mask.

“Under CDC guidelines, students 11 and younger cannot receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and without it, they are at a greater risk of contracting the virus, particularly the Delta variant,” Hutchinson said in a statement.

“[The] Covid‐19 impact is escalating among children, particularly those 12 and older, as we have seen in the increased number and severity of Covid‐19 cases at Arkansas Children’s [Hospital in Little Rock] during July,” he added.

The governor said the hospital last week recorded a 50 per cent increase in admissions over previous peaks.

“Because of this increased risk of illness in children, we see the necessity of allowing leaders in school districts the flexibility to decide whether students wear masks,” said Hutchinson.

“We must allow local school boards to make the best decision for the students in their schools.”


Manitoba to relax health curbs a week early


Manitoba will relax coronavirus-related public health orders from Saturday, one month earlier than forecast, as the Canadian province’s vaccination rate tops 80 per cent.

The new public health orders will allow indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences without restrictions, and permit the reopening of gyms and fitness centres, libraries, hair and nail salons, summer camps and all retail businesses, markets, garden centres and malls.

“Thanks to the remarkable efforts of Manitobans, we are now in a position to reopen more, sooner, as we have achieved our highest vaccination rates yet,” said Brian Pallister, premier, on Tuesday. “This means Manitobans will enjoy the least restrictive public health orders since the start of the pandemic last year.”

Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, said 80 per cent of the province’s residents aged 12 and over have received their first dose and 75 per cent are expected to receive their second dose over the next week.


US vaccination rates picking up, says Biden


The rate of coronavirus vaccinations in the US is picking up again, according to President Joe Biden, including in southern states with low jab coverage.

He said on Tuesday that nearly 3m Americans received their first shot in the previous week. “That’s the highest seven-day total in a month,” Biden told a White House briefing.

He said the eight states with the highest current case rates have seen a doubling of the number of people newly vaccinated each day. “The message is getting through, apparently.”

Louisiana has seen a 212 per cent increase in the average number of newly vaccinated people in that state per day, going from 3,600 to over 11,000 people vaccinated per day, according to the president.

Kimberly McQuarter, left, brings daughter Kayleigh Smith, 13, to be vaccinated at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday © Rogelio Solis/AP

Arkansas is up 99 per cent, while Mississippi is up 125 per cent and Alabama is up 186 per cent. “This will make a big difference,” Biden said.

The president noted Vermont, the most vaccinated state, has identified just five new cases per 100,000 people daily. Nearby Maine, which has vaccinated almost 80 per cent of adults, has recorded about six new cases per 100,000. 

“I think there’s a clear link between the lowest-vaccinated states and the states with the highest case rates,” Biden said.

About 191m Americans have received at least one shot, including 70 per cent of adults over the age of 18 and 165m are fully vaccinated.

Biden said that left about 90m people in the US eligible for vaccines who have not received even one jab.


Philippine rebels attack vaccine convoy


Officials in the Philippines have condemned an armed attack on a convoy of local health workers collecting a batch of Covid-19 vaccines, the official news agency reported on Tuesday.

The attack occurred last week in the central island of Samar, the Philippine News Agency said, citing the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Officials said the attack was launched by rebels from the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

“The CPP-NPA-NDF’s height of insensitivity, callousness and opportunism knows no bounds,” Eduardo Año, interior secretary, said in a statement. “They really spare no person, place, or situation in killing and sowing terrorism.”

Año said police escorting the health workers’ convoy returned fire and the rebels retreated, adding there were no deaths or injuries.


US CDC renews federal evictions moratorium


The Biden administration has announced a new, three-month federal evictions moratorium that will protect an estimated 90 per cent of American renters, following a stand-off involving progressive lawmakers, the Democratic congressional leadership and the White House.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late on Tuesday that a new order temporarily halting evictions would be put in place in US counties “with heightened levels of community transmission in order to respond to recent, unexpected developments in the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant”.

The CDC said the measure was “intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which likely would be exacerbated by mass evictions”, and would remain in effect until October 3.

The move came several days after the CDC’s original ban on evictions of tenants who owed back rent — which was introduced in September last year amid the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and renewed several times in the past 11 months — expired on Saturday.


Washington state signals alarm over Delta variant


Washington officials on Tuesday reported the highest hospitalisation levels recorded in 2021, as the Delta variant of Covid-19 takes hold in the north-western US state.

The Department of Health said that over the past four days, an average of 1,500 new cases have been reported each day. 

“Hospital occupancy is at the highest levels seen to date in 2021 due to increased Covid-19 transmission, patient demand, and hospital staffing challenges,” the department said in a statement.

More than 600 people are in hospital with Covid-19, an increase of more than 20 per cent from last week.

Washington said it would report 6,000 new cases due to a backlog from July 30, while the state’s positivity rate has climbed towards 5.5 per cent, up from a low of 2 per cent a month ago.

The more contagious Delta variant is now the dominant strain in Washington, making up about 76 per cent of sequenced cases. 

The department urged state residents to be vaccinated. “While no vaccines are 100 per cent effective, it is proven Covid-19 vaccines provide strong protection against variants, prevent severe illness and hospitalisation, and lower the risk of death.”

Data show more than 94 per cent of cases, deaths, and hospitalisations in Washingtonians 12 years of age are among those not fully vaccinated.

“Higher vaccination rates across the state are needed to protect our communities,” said Umair Shah, the state’s health secretary. “If there was ever a time to get vaccinated, it is now in the race against this variant.”


Japan reluctant to offer jab passport reciprocity


Japan’s new vaccine passports have been slow to gain wide acceptance as Tokyo hesitates to offer reciprocation to other countries.

Just 12 foreign countries and territories accept the vaccine passports, frustrating a business community here that had expected easier travel.

Japan opened up applications on July 26, with Italy and four other countries initially agreeing to honour the passports. Holders do not need to self-quarantine upon arrival or submit polymerase chain reaction test results.

Germany, Hong Kong and others have since joined the list, and talks with dozens more countries are in progress. 

But some countries say it is unfair for Japan not to offer the same exemptions.

The US requires travellers from Japan to show a negative preflight Covid-19 test or proof of recovery from infection, while the UK and China impose quarantine requirements.

Japan is reluctant to ease its own entry restrictions. Even Japanese returnees holding vaccine passports are told to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. 

The business community is not happy. “I don’t use it on business trips, because it’s valid in only a limited number of countries,” an employee at a major trading house told Nikkei Asia.

The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, backs the use of vaccine passports, with a senior official saying: “I’d like them to consider easing quarantine measures for returnees.”


Canada bracing for 4th wave, says top doctor


Canada was facing the beginning of a potentially deadly fourth wave of coronavirus, the nation’s top medic warned on Tuesday.

Four variants of concern — Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta — are spreading, but Delta accounts for the majority of recently reported variant cases nationwide, Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said.

“The latest epidemiology and modelling update shows that we are at the start of a Delta-driven fourth wave,” she said. “The trajectory will depend on ongoing increase in fully vaccinated coverage and the timing, pace and extent of re-opening.” 

Tam said cases would be concentrated largely in younger unvaccinated people. However, further spread could extend into older unvaccinated populations. 

“Both higher overall case volumes and older age of cases could ultimately lead to an increase in severe illness outcomes, including hospitalisations, with the potential to exceed healthcare capacity,” she warned.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 1.4m cases of Covid-19 in Canada, with more than 26,000 deaths.

“This reaffirms the need to take a cautious approach to relaxing public health measures, to remain vigilant and responsive to signs of resurgence, and to continue to increase first and second dose vaccination coverage,” said Tam. 

She said an increase in fully vaccinated coverage above 80 per cent across all age groups, particularly in the 18-39 year olds where most of the transmission is occurring, could “significantly reduce the size and impact of the resurgence”.


Greece passes 500,000 Covid-19 infections


Greece confirmed 3,428 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing its total caseload since the pandemic began to more than half a million, the country’s national public health organisation said.

There were 14 more deaths recorded, bringing the total of pandemic victims to 12,997. 

Greece has confirmed a total of 501,030 infections. Nearly 200 people are on ventilators in the country’s hospitals.

A resurgence of infections and renewed lockdowns have hampered Greece’s efforts to re-start its tourism-dependent economy. Popular destinations such as Mykonos have been affected by curfews, while bars and restaurants have struggled to hire staff. 

Greece’s fight against Covid-19 has also been complicated by an intense heatwave that has sparked dozens of bushfires in the country.

More than 80 fires broke out in Greece on Tuesday alone, and there are 40 active fire fronts, Nikos Hardalias, deputy civil protection minister, said in a briefing.

The fires have cut the main railway lines between Athens and Thessaloniki and between Athens and Chalkida, TrainOSE, the national rail operator, said on Tuesday.


Hong Kong imposes Macau travel curbs


Hong Kong introduced curbs on visitors from Macau from Wednesday after the former Portuguese territory recorded four new Covid-19 cases, all imported.

A proof of a negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 24 hours is necessary for departure from Macau.

Hong Kong has included Macau on its “list of at-risk places” from August 4. Persons who have stayed in Macau up to 14 days before arrival in Hong Kong will be subject to a 14-day compulsory quarantine at home.

They would also undergo compulsory testing on the third, the seventh and 12th days of arrival at Hong Kong during quarantine, as well as on the 16th and 19th days of arrival at Hong Kong after the completion of quarantine. 

Shortened quarantine periods of seven days for fully vaccinated persons will no longer be applicable, a Hong Kong government statement said.


US automakers reinstate mask mandates


Employees at several US car plants will be required to wear face coverings again whether or not they are vaccinated, becoming the latest workplaces to announce a new mask mandate amid concerns over a rise in Covid-19 cases.

The big three US automakers and the United Auto Workers union said on Tuesday they have decided to require masks for employees working in factories, offices and warehouses, regardless of their Covid-19 vaccination status. The mandate will take effect on August 4.

The move comes as employers across the country reinstate mask requirements, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal masking in areas with substantial or high rates of coronavirus transmission. Some companies have gone as far as mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for employees.

A Covid-19 task force composed of General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and the UAW said it “decided it is best for worker safety to resume wearing masks in all worksites” due to the CDC’s updated guidelines and Covid-19 trends in the community.

“While we know that masks can be uncomfortable, the spread of the Delta variant and recent data outlining the alarmingly high rate of transmission among those unvaccinated is a serious health threat,” the task force said in a statement.

The group added that it is “strongly encouraging” workers and their families to get the Covid-19 shot.

The new mask mandate comes about a month after US automakers and the UAW agreed that vaccinated employees could ditch their masks while at work starting on July 12.

 

 


 


 


 

 


 

INVESTORS DIARY 2021

 


Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


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.

 


 

 


(c) 2021 Web: <http:// www.bullszimbabwe.com >  www.bullszimbabwe.com Email:  <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> info at bulls.co.zw Tel: +263 4 2927658 Cell: +263 77 344 1674

 


 

 

 

 

 

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