WHO Confronts Case Rebound; China Vaccine Goal: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Global cases rose for the first time in almost two months in the past week, the World Health Organization said, citing countries easing restrictions, people letting their guard down and variants spreading.

China has set a goal to vaccinate 40% of its population by the end of June, up from about 3.5% currently, an official said. The head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that China ease up on virus suppression to allow small local outbreaks to boost its economy.

A new Covid variant detected in New York is being watched "very, very closely" by U.S. health officials, Anthony Fauci said. Johnson & Johnson is looking for manufacturing partnerships to increase supply of its vaccine, which was cleared Saturday by U.S. regulators.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases pass 114 million; deaths exceed 2.5 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 245 million shots given worldwideU.S. Spotlight: Hospitalization flare-ups are reminder it's not overJ&J's Covid vaccine could protect millions -- if people take itVaccine challenge shifts from supply to demand, official saysWhat to Know About Severe Reactions to Covid Vaccines: QuickTake

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg's Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.

Philippines Detects Variant Strains of Virus (10:45 a.m. HK)

The Philippines said it detected for the first time the Covid-19 strain that initially emerged in South Africa. Six people were reported to have the variant, some local cases and some Filipinos returning from overseas. Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation also reported 30 additional cases of the more contagious strain that was first discovered in the U.K., bringing the total to 87.

Mexico Deaths Top 186,000; Biden and AMLO Talk (9:21 a.m. HK)

Mexico reported a daily rise of 437 Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total to 186,152, according to data released by the Health Ministry. The country has administered 2,526,863 doses of vaccine against the coronavirus, and 583,896 people have received a second dose.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador discussed the response to the pandemic, migration and climate change in a video meeting on Monday.

"They agreed to deepen cooperation on pandemic response, including by enhancing public health capabilities, information sharing, and the development of border policies," the governments said in a joint statement.

China Sets 40% Vaccination Goal by End of June (8:33 a.m. HK)

China has only vaccinated 3.5% of its population and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention aims to bring that level up to 40% by end of June, Zhong Nanshan, who advises the government on Covid-19, said at an online forum. The country had vaccinated 52.5 million people as of the end of February, Zhong said.

Gao Fu, head of the China CDC, suggested in the forum that China ease up on virus suppression to allow small local outbreaks to keep its economy strong and active.

China reported 11 new virus cases on Monday, all of which it said were imported.

California Has a Plan for Opening Schools (4:45 p.m. NY)

California Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders said they've struck a deal that would push school districts in the most-populous U.S. state to begin reopening by April.

The state would hand out more than $6 billion for related costs including personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and Covid testing. To make up for lost learning, the school year might extend into summer.

© BloombergCalifornia Governor Proposes $2 Billion Plan To Reopen Schools

An empty classroom at Collins Elementary School in Pinole, California in December 2020.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

U.S. Cases Fell 61% in February (3:50 p.m. NY)

Covid-19 infections in the U.S. had the biggest monthly decline in February, plunging 61% to about 2.42 million, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg show. That helped lower the death count from January by 25% to 71,772. Overall, almost 514,000 Americans have succumbed to Covid-19 and about 28.7 million residents -- or 8.7% of the population -- have been infected by it.

© BloombergU.S. saw 61% decline in Covid-19 cases in February

Twitter to Label Misleading Vaccine Tweets (3:10 p.m. NY)

Twitter said it will label tweets that may contain misleading information around Covid-19 vaccinations.

France Allows Astra Shot for Elderly (3 p.m. NY)

France expanded its guidelines for AstraZeneca Plc's coronavirus vaccine, saying it can now be used to immunize the elderly.

All three vaccines currently in use, including Astra's, show "remarkable efficacy," Health Minister Olivier Veran said.

France and other European Union countries such as Germany originally advised giving the Astra vaccine only to people under 65, saying there wasn't enough clinical-trial data on efficacy in older people.

NYC Variant Draws Concern From Fauci (1:40 p.m. NY)

A new Covid-19 variant detected in New York City that's now traveled through various neighborhoods is being watched "very, very closely" by U.S. health officials, Anthony Fauci said on Monday.

The variant, known scientifically as B.1.526, likely started off in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, Fauci, a top adviser to President Joe Biden on the pandemic, said. It is one of five concerning variants now being tracked nationally by health officials.

WHO Warns of Infection Rebound (1:15 p.m. NY)

Global cases rose for the first time in almost two months in the past week, mainly in the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia, the World Health Organization said. Part of the reason is that countries are easing restrictions, people are letting their guard down and variants are spreading, WHO officials said at a media briefing Monday.

People should continue to limit contacts, avoid crowds and practice hygiene measures as vaccines are being rolled out.

© BloombergCovid-19 Vaccination And Testing As Poland Tightens Restrictions

A person arrives for a Covid-19 swab test at a drive-thru Coronavirus testing center in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb 25.

Photographer: Lukasz Sokol/Bloomberg

"If the last week tells us anything, it's that this virus will rebound," said Maria van Kerkhove, the group's technical lead officer on Covid-19. "This virus will rebound if we let it. We cannot allow it to take off again."

No Outdoor Dining in Austria Until Easter (12:55 p.m. NY)

Austria extended lockdown measures for the majority of the country on Monday following government meetings with scientists, opposition parties and provincial governors in Vienna. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ruled out even outdoor dining until Easter as incidence rates in eastern regions of the country doubled to about 200 over the past month. Only restaurants and cafes in the far-western province of Vorarlberg got the go-ahead to reopen from March 15 after infections fell.

Pennsylvania Eases Restrictions (11:45 a.m. NY)

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said he was easing restrictions, including revising maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor events, as well as ending out-of-state travel restrictions.

Outdoor events are now allowed a maximum of 20% occupancy, regardless of venue size, the governor said. Attendees and workers must keep six feet (1.8 meters) apart. Indoor venues can have 15% occupancy.

J&J Looks for Partners to Boost Supply (11:15 a.m. NY)

Johnson & Johnson is looking for manufacturing partnerships to increase supply of its Covid-19 vaccine that was cleared Saturday by U.S. regulators, Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky said.

J&J will deliver 3.9 million doses of its one-shot vaccine within the next 24 to 48 hours, Gorsky said Monday in a telephone interview. The company wants to speed up its timeline of supplying enough vaccines to immunize 20 million Americans by the end of the month and a total of 100 million by the end of June, he said.

NYC Mayor Wants More Shots for Residents (11 a.m. NY)

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said many of the shots at large, state-run vaccination sites in the city aren't going to local residents. He said 43% of shots at the massive vaccine site at the Javits Center convention site have gone to non-city residents. Three quarters of shots at the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, which is near one of the hardest-hit parts of the city, have gone to people who don't live in the city, he said.

© BloombergCVS Pharmacy Administers Covid-19 Vaccinations

A pharmacists prepares to administer a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccination in New York on Feb. 12.

Photographer: Gabriela Bhaskar/Bloomberg

Poland May Buy Chinese Vaccines (10:30 a.m. NY)

The Polish government will discuss the potential purchase of Covid-19 vaccines with its Chinese counterparts, according to a readout from a Monday phone call between Presidents Andrzej Duda and Xi Jinping. Details of possible supplies will be figured out by special working group.

Poland has already administered 8.39 doses of Covid-19 vaccine per 100 people, one of highest ratio in the EU, according to Bloomberg tracker.

EU Vaccine Passports Draws Closer (10:05 a.m. NY)

The European Commission will unveil a proposal this month for a "digital green pass," which will provide proof that a person has been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or has received a negative test.

"The proposal's aim will be to facilitate travel within the European Union based on this medical data that will be available in this green digital pass," Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

But countries including France have raised objections on the grounds that the policy may be discriminatory against those not vaccinated and infringe on personal data.

France's Curbs Set to be Extended (7:30 a.m. NY)

France needs another four to six weeks before the government can start lifting restrictions, Agence France-Presse reported on Monday, citing comments made by President Emmanuel Macron. The country is already implementing a nationwide curfew that runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., but officials have warned that more curbs might be needed.

Finland's State of Emergency (7:15 a.m NY)

Finland declared a state of emergency, allowing the government to shutter bars and stop dining at restaurants for three weeks from March 8. It's preparing an aid package to the affected businesses.

In addition, the government may use emergency powers to restrict people's movements at a later point, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.

Iran's New Cases Hit Three-Month High (7 a.m. NY)

Iran recorded 108 deaths from coronavirus in 24 hours, the highest since Jan. 4 and the first time in seven weeks that the country surpassed 100 Covid-19 deaths in one day. The number of daily new cases rose by 8,510, the highest since Dec. 11, the Health Ministry reported. Iran now has 60,181 deaths from the virus with more than 1.6 million infections.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.