Coronavirus Global Updates, Feb 24 :::: Cambodia Sees Sudden Rise in Cases and Hong Kong Residents Get Cash; Vaccines Roll Out

Wed Feb 24 11:08:40 CAT 2021

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Coronavirus Global Updates, Feb 24 :::: Cambodia Sees Sudden Rise in Cases and Hong Kong Residents Get Cash; Vaccines Roll Out

 <https://www.facebook.com/Hyundaizimbabwe/>  

Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 23 February 2021, Zimbabwe had 35 910 confirmed cases, including 32 288 recoveries and 1 448 deaths. 

Hong Kong Residents Get Cash; Vaccines Roll Out: Virus Update
Hong Kong pledged HK$120 billion ($15.5 billion) to  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-24/hong-kong-pledges-hk-120-billion-in-support-as-economy-recovers> support its economy and will give HK$5,000 in vouchers to residents in an effort to boost consumption, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in his budget speech.

Thailand received its first batch of doses from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., allowing it to start its vaccination campaign within a week. The country may also waive quarantine for  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/thailand-mulls-waiving-quarantine-rule-for-vaccinated-tourists> vaccinated visitors to rebuild tourism, while Taiwan will ease its entry ban on non-residents next week. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the city-state is in talks with other countries on mutual  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0N5MT0G1L8> recognition of vaccine certification, a key step in reviving global travel.

The U.S. may soon issue guidance easing public health protocols for fully vaccinated people, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/fauci-hints-at-relaxed-rules-u-k-airlines-soar-virus-update> suggested, amid expectations of greater vaccine  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/more-vaccine-doses-they-re-coming-say-u-s-drugmakers> availability in March.

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

Taiwan to Ease Entry Ban 
A ban on non-resident foreign nationals will be eased from  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0SD0T0AFBI> March 1, allowing short-term business travelers from lower risk areas to apply for five to seven days of quarantine, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control said. The entry ban has been in place since Jan. 1 and also applies to airline transit passengers.

Pace of Indonesia Vaccinations Lags Target 
Six weeks into its vaccination program, Indonesia has administered more than 2 million Sinovac Biotech shots with no reports so far of serious adverse effects. The elderly are starting to get their doses after the country inoculated frontline workers, including those in healthcare and the military.

The pace of vaccinations remains slow at about 50,000 a day, far short of the 500,000 needed to reach Indonesia’s target of more than 180 million this year. Bureaucracy remains a hurdle as registration requires multiple steps and health facilities limit numbers to avoid crowds.

Philippines Expects Sinovac Shots Next Week 
The Philippines is due to receive its first vaccine shipments from Sinovac Biotech by Feb. 28 and can start inoculations a day after, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. The Chinese drugmaker said it needs a week to prepare the delivery and is coordinating with the Philippine customs bureau.

President Rodrigo Duterte is “perplexed” with the local regulator’s decision  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-22/philippines-clears-china-s-sinovac-vaccine-for-emergency-use> not to recommend Sinovac shots to health workers, Roque said.

Hong Kong Vaccination Rollout 
Hong Kong is expected to start Pfizer-BioNTech  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0MG0T1UM1B> vaccinations as early as March 8, with registrations starting next week, TVB reported, citing unidentified people. Meanwhile, appointments for the Sinovac shot, which arrived in the city first, are fully booked for the next two weeks.

China Accepts CanSino’s Vaccine Application 
CanSino Biologic Inc.  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0OY5T0G1L0> said its application for conditional approval of its Ad5-nCoV vaccine, jointly developed with the Chinese military, has been accepted by China’s drug regulator. A single dose has an overall efficacy of nearly 69% against all symptomatic Covid-19 disease after 14 days and a 95% rate against severe disease in the same period, the Tianjin-based company said.

Late stage trials have been carried out in Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Chile and Argentina, and the vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Mexico.

Vaccines Arrive in Thailand 
Thailand received its first vaccines from Sinovac Biotech, while another batch from AstraZeneca is due later in the day. The 200,000 doses from Sinovac and 117,000 from AstraZeneca allow the nation to start its vaccination drive within a week and will be distributed to healthcare and front-line workers. Thailand has ordered 2 million doses from Sinovac and 61 million from AstraZeneca.

Hong Kong Budget Pledges 
Each permanent resident over the age of 18 will get coupons of HK$5,000 designed to be spent in shops, bars and restaurants, which have been badly hit by the pandemic and enforced closures. Financial Secretary Paul Chan’s budget also includes reductions to salaries tax and electricity subsidies.

The budget “aims to alleviate the hardship and pressure caused by the economic downturn and the epidemic through the introduction of counter-cyclical measures costing over HK$120 billion,” Chan said. He also said Hong Kong would continue discussing travel bubbles with countries.

Record Loss for Top Singapore Developer 
CapitaLand Ltd., the largest developer in Singapore, suffered a  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/singapore-s-biggest-developer-capitaland-sees-loss-on-impairment> record full-year loss of S$1.57 billion ($1.2 billion) after writing down the value of some investment properties and residential projects during the pandemic. The Covid-19 crisis has battered Singapore’s property market, particularly office and hospitality assets.

China Denies Blocking Taiwan 
The accusation that China is blocking Taiwan’s purchases of vaccines is groundless, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang told a briefing in Beijing.

Taiwan’s health minister suggested last week that the derailing of a purchase of five million doses from Germany’s BioNTech SE was due to political pressure from “external forces.”

New Zealand Central Bank Decision 
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-24/rbnz-says-prolonged-monetary-stimulus-remains-necessary> signaled it is in no rush to remove monetary stimulus, saying inflation will slow next year and the economic outlook remains highly uncertain amid the pandemic.

“Prolonged monetary stimulus” is necessary and it will require “considerable time and patience” to meet inflation and employment targets, the central bank said. The official cash rate was kept at 0.25% and the Large Scale Asset Purchase program left at NZ$100 billion ($73 billion). The RBNZ said it “remains prepared to provide additional monetary stimulus if necessary.”

Cambodia Sees Sudden Rise in Cases
Cambodia reported 40 new cases as infections continue to climb in the Southeast Asian country.

Japan Leisure and Travel Shares Rise 
Stocks including Japan Airlines Co. and ANA Holdings Inc.  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0B75DWX2PV> rose following reports the Japanese government is  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QOZ0O4DWLU6L> considering lifting the state of emergency outside Tokyo earlier than planned as virus cases fall.

The decision could come as soon as Friday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will discuss the possible move Wednesday with virus czar Yasutoshi Nishimura and Health Minister Norihisa Tamura, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Vietnam to Get First Batch of Vaccines 
The  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QP0BXCDWX2PS> first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday having been approved by the Health Ministry this month, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

Vietnam signed a deal with AstraZeneca to acquire about 30 million doses, and it expects to get another 30 million through the World Health Organization-backed Covax program in the second half of the year. The government is in talks to buy more vaccine doses.

Colorado Deactivates Hospital Care Plan 
Colorado ended its Crisis Standard of Care Plan that set emergency guidelines for allotting hospital care and recommended allocation of scarce resources such as ventilators and intensive care unit beds, the state’s Joint Information Center said. The deactivation was ordered earlier in the month but announced publicly Tuesday.

Biden Shelves Mask Shipments 
Biden will announce a program to send  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/millions-of-masks-to-be-sent-to-households-in-biden-equity-plan> cloth masks to disadvantaged U.S. communities to curb while shelving for now a proposal to send masks to every American, according to two administration officials familiar with the plans.

Chip Issue to Hit Ford, GM Results: Moody’s 
The global semiconductor shortage exacerbated by the pandemic will slash earnings at General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. by about one-third this year as supply constraints hamper production and profits, Moody’s Investor Service  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/chip-shortage-may-cut-ford-gm-earnings-by-a-third-moody-s-says> estimated.

The chip shortage will materially erode margins and could lower expected earnings before interest and taxes by as much as $2 billion for GM and $2.5 billion for Ford, the ratings agency said in a note published Tuesday.

U.S. Looks for a Surge in Vaccine Supply 
Johnson & Johnson said it will be ready next month to ship  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-23/more-vaccine-doses-they-re-coming-say-u-s-drugmakers> 20 million doses of its one-shot vaccine, adding to a coming surge in vaccine availability in the U.S., according to Bloomberg analysis of drugmaker promises.

Along with vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., which both require two doses, the delivery targets through next month will be enough to fully vaccinate 130 million Americans.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee scheduled a meeting for Sunday and Monday regarding J&J’s application for emergency use of its vaccine candidate. An authorization could swiftly follow the meeting.

Astra Cuts 2Q Delivery to EU by Half 
A person familiar with the matter confirmed a report by Reuters that AstraZeneca is expected to deliver about half the Covid-19 vaccines it had committed to supply the European Union in the second quarter.

According to Reuters, the company told EU officials it would deliver  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QOZT3EDWLU78> fewer than 90 million doses, compared with a commitment of 180 million. It also plans to deliver about 40 million doses in the first quarter, down from a previous commitment of 90 million.

The shortfall wouldn’t impact the EU’s target of vaccinating 70% of the adult population by the end of summer, the person said.

Dutch Government Moves to Relax Lockdown 
The Dutch government will take “a little bit more risk” in relaxing a few lockdown measures. Secondary schools will partly reopen, shopping with an appointment will be allowed and barbers and other so-called contact jobs can reopen. The government announced the new measures hours after case numbers showed an increase in the week ending Feb. 23. A much debated nighttime curfew will be extended until March 15.

Ireland to Stay in Lockdown 
Ireland’s government will maintain its strict lockdown regime until at least April 5, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a national address. Non-essential stores, bars and personal services -- which have been closed for over six weeks -- will remain shuttered, and people will have to stay within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from home. In one change, schools will reopen on a phased basis next month. Offering some hope, Martin said over 80% of adults will have been given at least a first vaccine dose by the end of June.

South Africa Has Concerns About Sputnik 
South Africa has held extensive talks with the manufacturers of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine and has concerns about its efficacy against a variant of the coronavirus first identified in the country, said Anban Pillay, deputy director-general in the Department of Health.

Health authorities don’t think the vaccine produced by Novavax Inc. is suitable because of its low efficacy against the variant, while talks have been held with India’s Bharat Biotech International Ltd., he said.

U.S. May Soon Ease Rules for Vaccinated: Fauci 
Anthony Fauci suggested Tuesday that the federal government may soon issue guidance easing public health protocols for fully vaccinated individuals.

“When you say, wait a minute, if I’m fully vaccinated, and my daughter comes in the house and she’s fully vaccinated, do we really” need the same strict rules? Fauci said on CNN. “Common sense tells you that, in fact, you don’t have to be as stringent in your public health measures.”

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.

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