Coronavirus Global Updates, Mar 04 :::: Fake Vaccines Seized in South Africa and Another Day of Record Deaths in Brazil

Thu Mar 4 11:46:49 CAT 2021

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Coronavirus Global Updates, Mar 04 :::: Fake Vaccines Seized in South Africa and Another Day of Record Deaths in Brazil

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Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 03 March 2021, Zimbabwe had 36 179 confirmed cases, including 33 392 recoveries and 1 478 deaths.

China Lawmakers Get Shots; Rugby Sevens Return: Virus Update

An experimental vaccine developed by India’s  <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/7535940Z:IN> Bharat Biotech International Ltd. showed  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/criticized-indian-vaccine-already-in-use-found-81-effective> 81% efficacy in an interim clinical trial.  <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/AZN:LN> AstraZeneca Plc’s and  <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/PFE:US> Pfizer Inc.’s vaccines protected the elderly after a single dose in a new study that validates giving both shots to older people and spacing out injections.

More than 5,000 of China’s top lawmakers, in Beijing for the National People’s Congress, received Sinopharm’s vaccine. Brazil took a step closer to an aid package and secured a deal for the Pfizer shot.

The U.S. is benefiting from its vaccine supply, averaging 2 million inoculations a day for the first time. And in Germany, officials came to agreement on a plan to gradually unwind restrictions on Europe’s largest economy.

Top Chinese Lawmakers Get Vaccinated 
More than 5,000 lawmakers and political advisers in Beijing for the annual parliamentary session this month have received doses of the vaccine developed by state-owned Sinopharm, the head of the pharmaceutical giant’s drug distributing unit told local media on Thursday.

China is ramping up inoculation in the capital to avoid a potential virus outbreak among senior leaders and lawmakers at the National People’s Congress.

China has also recently expanded the use of home-developed shots to people 60 and older, and the drug regulator is reviewing newly submitted data from Sinopharm as it weighs whether to distribute the shot to children.

California, Texas, Michigan Change Vaccine Policies 
California officials say they’ll dedicate 40% of future vaccines doses to residents in places that have have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a  <https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/03/03/california-will-soon-tie-reopening-to-vaccination-equity-rates-dedicate-40-of-doses-to-low-income-communities/> report by California Public Radio.

Michigan lowered its vaccine eligibility age to 50 from 65 starting March 8 for Michiganders with medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus, with access for everyone over 50 beginning March 22.

Texas opened its inoculation drive to teachers, school staff and licensed childcare providers, effective immediately, according to the state health department.

Hong Kong Rugby Sevens to Resume 
One of Hong Kong’s biggest social events, the Rugby Sevens,  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-04/hong-kong-rugby-sevens-to-resume-this-year-as-virus-cases-ease> is set for Nov. 5-7, the organizer said in a statement Wednesday.

Typically scheduled in April, the event has been on hold since 2020, when the tournament was canceled for the first time in its 44-year history.

Germany Lays Out Plan for Opening Up
German Chancellor Angela Merkel  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/merkel-reaches-deal-to-extend-german-virus-curbs-until-march-28> set out a plan to gradually unwind restrictions on Europe’s largest economy, bowing to pressure from the pandemic-weary public.

After hairdressers resumed operations on Monday, the next step will start on March 8, the German leader said late Wednesday after more than nine hours of tense talks with regional officials.

Remaining restrictions -- including the closure of hotels, restaurants and other non-essential retail outlets -- will continue with further easing steps tied to local contagion rates. An “emergency brake” was set up to react to hot spots.

U.S. Vaccination Pace Hits 2 Million a Day 
The U.S. is administering an average of 2.01 million doses a day, the first time it has crossed that threshold, according to the latest analysis from the  <https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/> Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

A surge in make-up doses that were temporarily delayed during the winter storms last month, combined with increasing U.S. vaccine supply, has pushed the seven-day average of doses administered above the 2 million mark.

In total, 80.5 million doses have been given in the U.S., with 1.91 million reported on Wednesday. At least 52.9 million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Indian Vaccine Shown to Be 81% Effective 
An Indian coronavirus vaccine that generated controversy when it was granted emergency approval before finishing its final stage testing has shown to provide strong protection against Covid-19 in an interim analysis of an advanced clinical trial.

Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and the Indian Council of Medical Research, showed an efficacy rate of 81% in those without prior infection after a second dose. That’s better than Bharat Biotech’s guidance last year of around 60% and the country’s benchmark of 50%.

Another Day of Record Deaths in Brazil 
Brazil reported  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/brazil-has-record-covid-deaths-as-richest-state-tightens-rules> record deaths from the coronavirus for a second straight day as the country’s richest state tightens rules to contain the spread. Brazil also said it reached an  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QPEYNIT0AFBA> agreement to buy Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine.

Deaths rose by 1,910 in last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said, pushing the total to 259,271. Confirmed cases increased by 71,704, to 10,718,630.

Sao Paulo state said all non-essential businesses, such as shops and gyms, will remain shut for two more weeks.

NYC Could Open Vaccines to All by April 
New York City could offer Covid-19 vaccines to all residents by late April, the city’s health commissioner said Wednesday in an  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/new-york-city-could-open-vaccines-to-all-by-april-health-chief> interview with Bloomberg News.

“I would estimate for New York City sometime in, I hope, late April to May, we will have sufficient supply to be able to offer a vaccine to every New Yorker who wants one,” Dave Chokshi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said by telephone.

N.Y. Eases More Restrictions 
New York state said starting March 22 the outdoor limit on residential gatherings will increase to 25 from 10. Limits for social events will rise from 50 to 100 people indoors and to 200 outdoors. Venues that hold fewer than 10,000 people can open at 33% capacity from April 2, with up to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors. Social distancing and face coverings are still required for attendance.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also said domestic travelers would not longer be required to quarantine or test-out within 90 days of full vaccination.

Montenegro Turns to Army on Masks 
Montenegro, with one of the highest infection rates in Europe, is relying on police and the army to enforce virus restrictions, including mandatory face masks and social distancing, according to a government statement Wednesday.

The Adriatic state of 650,000 is also curbing intercity travel and suspending non-essential services as a last-ditch attempt to avoid a complete lockdown, Finance Minister Milojko Spajic said in a briefing in the capital city of Podgorica. “The pandemic is also a financial problem, but we cannot chose between health and the economy,” Spajic said.

CDC Urges Texans to Keep Wearing Masks 
Federal health officials called on Texas and Mississippi residents to keep  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-03/cdc-director-urges-mask-wearing-regardless-of-governor-orders> wearing masks as governors there lift Covid-19 restrictions, saying it’s premature to abandon mitigation efforts and that the virus can still erupt again.

Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that though cases have halted their decline from January highs, it’s not yet time to lift restrictions.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday that the state would lift its mask mandate and reopen businesses next week. He also banned counties from fining or jailing people who disregard local measures, in defiance of previous warnings from Walensky and others.

Greece Tightens Restrictions 
Greece announced more measures to further restrict movement after recording 2,702 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily increase since Nov. 19. The number of patients in intensive-care units also rose. Citizens will only be allowed to carry out essential shopping in the municipalities where they live while the use of cars to travel for personal exercise is prohibited, Deputy Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said. Measures go into effect March 4 at 6 a.m. The current lockdown in high-risk areas is extended by one week until March 16.

Fake Vaccines Seized in South Africa 
South African authorities said they’d seized about 2,400 doses of fake coronavirus vaccines after following up on a global alert issued by Interpol warning that criminal networks were trying to cash in on the inoculation rollout. The bogus shots were found at a warehouse in Germiston, near Johannesburg, and three Chinese nationals and a Zambian national were arrested, the police said in a statement.

Rwanda Receives Pfizer Vaccines 
Rwanda received 102,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses on Wednesday, according to Unicef. It’s the first African nation to receive mRNA vaccines through Covax, the global alliance working to ensure equitable access to vaccines. Rwanda also received 240,000 AstraZeneca/Oxford doses.

Lithuania Eases Restrictions 
Lithuania eased some of its lockdown restrictions to allow contacts between two households outdoors, as well as sports or cultural sessions of up to five people outdoors. The government is also introducing a requirement to hold a negative Covid-19 test taken within the previous three days to be eligible for entry to the country.

Vaccines Underestimated for Variants:  <https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/C:US> Citi 
A not yet peer-reviewed abstract suggests that messenger-RNA based vaccines may cut severe incidences of the disease against the four most-concerning variants, a Citi analyst said, and that may wipe out the need for future follow-up shots.

“High rates of vaccination could preclude additional waves of Covid-19, potentially without requiring additional booster or novel vaccines to address variants of concern,” Andrew Baum wrote in a research note. The data suggest that T cell responses in recovering patients or mRNA vaccines aren’t substantially affected by mutations, he said.

One Astra, Pfizer Dose Shields the Elderly 
A single shot from AstraZeneca’s or Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccines protected people aged 80 and over from being hospitalized based on data collected in the U.K., supporting the rationale for spacing out injections to protect more people.

Pfizer helped fund the research.

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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