Coronavirus Global Updates, Mar 17 :::: Tokyo Cases Spike; Philippine Entry Restrictions and Brazil Reports Record Number of Deaths

Wed Mar 17 11:35:18 CAT 2021

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Coronavirus Global Updates, Mar 17 :::: Tokyo Cases Spike; Philippine Entry Restrictions and Brazil Reports Record Number of Deaths

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Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 16 March 2021, Zimbabwe had 36 535 confirmed cases, including 34 124 recoveries and 1 507 deaths. To date, a total of 39 550 front line workers have been vaccinated. 

Tokyo Cases Spike; Philippine Entry Restrictions: Virus Update

Japan will end the state of emergency in the Tokyo region as planned on March 21, according to  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ34ZNDWX2S4> reports, even as the capital  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ3NL5DWX2PS> reported the most new coronavirus cases since Feb. 18.

Hong Kong saw more than 144,000 people book vaccine appointments on the first day of expanded access as the city grapples with a new outbreak of the virus centered on its expatriate community. The Philippines will  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/philippines-limits-manila-airport-arrivals-as-covid-cases-rise> bar foreigners and limit arrivals in its Manila airport to 1,500 passengers a day for a month starting this week as infections surged anew, even as Taiwan and Palau will  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ3NHXDWLU6J> open their borders in a travel bubble.

In the U.S., former President Donald Trump  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-17/trump-says-he-would-recommend-getting-coronavirus-vaccine> said he would urge his supporters and others wary of the vaccine to get it. Meanwhile in Europe, French and Italian leaders said they were ready to restart use of AstraZeneca’s dose if the European Union’s drug regulator advises that it’s safe.

Taiwan, Palau Plan Tourist ‘Travel Bubble’ 
Taiwan and Palau will  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ3NHXDWLU6J> open a travel bubble for tourist groups, according to a statement from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.

Two flights per week will be allowed initially, with capacity of up to 110 tourists per flight.

Tokyo Sees High Cases Even as Emergency Set to End 
Tokyo reported its highest day of coronavirus cases since Feb. 18 even as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to decide today to lift the state of emergency in the area around the capital when it expires on March 21, according to  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ33SRDWRGG0> reports.

While Tokyo had early success in reducing new infections after imposing the emergency in early January, cases have started to rise again after plateauing in recent weeks. The emergency has already been lifted in other areas of the country, but was extended for two weeks in the Tokyo region.

Bars and restaurants in Tokyo will be asked to close by 9pm after the emergency is lifted, one hour later than currently, according to a  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ3DEODWRGG3> report.

Suga is expected to speak to the press later on Wednesday.

Sweden May Delay Vaccine Target 
Sweden’s government has admitted it may have to move its vaccine target of all citizens over the age of 18 being offered a shot by June 30, newspaper Dagens Nyheter  <https://etidning.dn.se/2357/dagens-nyheter/392267/2021-03-17/r/5/first> reported.

“If we get further delivery delays and if that isn’t filled up with other vaccines, then we will be forced to move it forward,” said Lena Hallengren, Minister for Health & Social Affairs.

On Tuesday the country suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s shot while awaiting the outcome of a review into possible side effects by the European Medicines Agency.

Over Half of U.K. Managers Back Mandatory Vaccines: FT 
A survey found that more than half of managers in the U.K. want to able to mandate coronavirus vaccinations for staff coming back to the office, while nearly half said that access should be restricted for those who refused a jab without medical grounds, the Financial Times  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ3HSR8JMDC0> reported.

Cases Rise in India, Thailand 
Thailand on Wednesday reported 248 new Covid-19 infections, with almost 70% of the cases emerging from a cluster in Bangkok. Authorities are continuing active case-finding in an effort to contain a surge in infections tied to a market complex in the Thai capital weeks ahead of the nation’s biggest festival, according to Apisamai Srirangsan, a Covid-19 center spokeswoman.

Wednesday’s caseload was the nation’s highest one-day tally since Feb. 6, taking the total to 27,402. Thailand also reported one new death, which took total fatalities to 88.

Meanwhile, India reported 28,903 cases.

Hong Kong Vaccine Bookings Jump 
Hong Kong saw more than 144,000 people snap up Covid-19 vaccine  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-17/hong-kong-vaccine-bookings-jump-in-first-day-of-expanded-access> appointments the first day the government expanded access to a majority of residents. The total number of people able to access vaccines now represents some 70% of the city’s population of 7.5 million, with adults aged 30 to 59 years old now eligible.

The extended drive comes as the city grapples with a new outbreak of the virus centered on its expatriate community, including employees of international financial firms.

China to Facilitate Visas for Those With Local Vaccines 
Chinese embassies in at least 20 countries have offered to facilitate visa applications by people who have received China-developed Covid-19 vaccines, the Global Times  <https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1218524.shtml> reported.

exploratory action aimed at easing travel restrictions, according to the report. Applicants who have completed vaccinations are still required to present negative coronavirus test results.

The facilitation applies to those coming to China for work, family members of Chinese citizens or permanent residents in countries ranging from Australia and South Korea to India and Pakistan, according to Global Times.

Trump Recommends Getting Vaccinated 
Former President Donald Trump  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-17/trump-says-he-would-recommend-getting-coronavirus-vaccine> said he would urge his supporters and others wary of the coronavirus vaccine to get it, while also saying that personal freedoms must be respected.

“I would recommend it to a lot of people that don’t want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly,” Trump said in a telephone interview with Fox News on Tuesday night.

South Korea to Continue Using Astra Vaccine 
South Korea  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/QQ36H9DWLU6G> said it will keep using AstraZeneca vaccine as scheduled, with around 570,000 people in the country have received the vaccine so far.

Yonhap subsequently reported that one case of a blood clot was found after receiving an AstraZeneca shot.

Seoul Testing Foreign Workers 
South Korea’s capital city of Seoul, where about half of the country’s population lives, is requiring foreign workers to get tested for Covid-19 as sporadic cluster outbreaks among migrants have stymied efforts to lower the number of daily new coronavirus patients.

Seoul’s mandate follows that of adjoining Gyeonggi Province which last week required testing of foreign workers and their employers, a move that some foreigners have decried as xenophobic. South Korea’s daily new cases have hovered around 400 for the past two weeks despite strict social distancing measures and vaccine roll out.

Brazil Reports Record Number of Deaths 
Brazil reported a record number of deaths from Covid-19 as new Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga takes office. He is the fourth to occupy the role since the pandemic started. Latin America’s largest country saw the number of deaths rise by 2,841 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said, pushing the total to 282,127. Confirmed cases increased by 83,926 to 11,603,535.

Queiroga, who is replacing General Eduardo Pazuello, shunned lockdowns as a government tool, saying simple measures can avoid economic stall. The minister also said that it’s President Jair Bolsonaro who’ll continue to dictate policies to fight the pandemic.

Nationalism Threatens WHO Goal 
Vaccine nationalism in countries including the U.S. and India is likely to derail efforts by the World Health Organization to deliver 2 billion doses to poorer and middle-income nations by the end of the year, according to the head of the world’s biggest vaccine maker.

Countries are holding tight to their supplies and restricting access to materials needed to make more, said Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India Ltd.

Poonawalla’s comments highlight the continuing challenge of vaccine inequality. Few African nations received a single shipment of shots before March, while more than 20% of the population in countries including Israel, the U.K., Bahrain and the U.S have received at least one shot.

France Weighs Paris Weekend Lockdown 
France is considering imposing tougher restrictions in the Paris region to contain the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Jean Castex declined to be specific but said on television Tuesday that worsening indicators were pushing the government to work on a potential lockdown during weekends. The government will discuss possible restrictions at a cabinet meeting Wednesday, Castex said.

More than 400 people out of every 100,000 people in the Paris region have tested positive over the past week, a threshold Castex has described as alarming. Intensive-care units in and around the capital are almost full, forcing the state to transfer patients to other hospitals around the country.

France, Italy Signal They Will Allow Astra Shot 
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron are ready to  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/france-and-italy-signal-they-ll-allow-astrazeneca-vaccine-again> allow the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine again if the European Union’s drug regulator advises that it’s safe, the Italian government said after the two leaders spoke by telephone.

The European Medicines Agency, which is reviewing the shot after several countries suspended it on health concerns, is due to give a definitive assessment Thursday. Draghi’s office said the initial guidance from the EMA was encouraging.

In unscheduled comments on Tuesday, the EMA reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks, and there was no indication that it had caused blood clots in a number of people. But it also warned about a negative impact on public perception and a risk of increased hesitancy about taking vaccines.

EU Nations Told to Speed Vaccinations 
European Union countries were  <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/france-and-italy-signal-they-ll-allow-astrazeneca-vaccine-again> warned on Tuesday that the slow pace of vaccinations, as well as moves to block the use of some doses, could put the recovery effort at risk and increase the likelihood of prolonged lockdowns.

The European Commission on Tuesday pushed back against member states’ attempts to dodge any blame over the EU’s lackluster vaccination rollout, which has been plagued by slow regulatory approvals and delivery disruptions by AstraZeneca Plc. The bloc’s health chief, Stella Kyriakides, told EU ministers in a call that out of the 70 million doses delivered to member states so far, only 51 million have been administered.

INVESTORS DIARY 2021

Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

Old Mutual

analysts briefing

24/03/21 | 2:30pm

Willdale

AGM

Boardroom, Willdale Administration Block, Teneriffe, 19.5km peg Lomagundi Road, Mt Hampden

25/03/21 | 11am

TSL

AGM

Virtual |  <https://eagm.creg.co.zw/eagmzim/> https://eagm.creg.co.zw/eagmzim/ Login.aspx | in the Auditorium, Ground Floor, 28 Simon Mazorodze Road, Southerton

25/03/21 | 12pm

CFI

AGM

Farm & City Boardroom, 1st Floor Farm & City Complex, 1 Wynne Street

31/03/21 | 11am

Good Friday

02/04/21

Easter Sunday

04/04/21

Easter Monday

05/04/21

Independence Day

18/04/21

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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