No troops against truck drivers in Canada; Sweden Curbs: Virus update
(Bloomberg) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed the idea of deploying the Canadian military to help clear a truck driver protest that has paralyzed the capital, raising the prospects for an expanded occupation of downtown Ottawa.
The UK’s drug regulator approved Novavax Inc.’s vaccine for use in adults, giving the UK another weapon to fight the disease.
Sweden will lift coronavirus restrictions from next week, citing a high vaccination rate and a manageable situation in its hospitals, while France’s health minister said the country is past the worst of the latest wave.
Omicron cases spread in China during the countdown to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, with a leading jumper who withdrew after she tested positive. N
Important developments:
- Virus Detectors: Above 386.3 million cases; deaths pass 5.70 million
- Vaccine tracker: More than 10.1 billion shots administered
- Covid’s endemic change means a slowdown for virus product manufacturers
- New virus research will accelerate the NIH’s next outbreak response
- What we know about omicron and its subvariant BA.2: QuickTake
- Sign up for the free Coronavirus Daily newsletter here
Trudeau excludes Army Against Truckers (13:08 NY)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau downplayed the idea of deploying the Canadian military to help clear a truck driver protest that has paralyzed the capital, raising the prospect of an expanded occupation of downtown Ottawa.
Speaking at a virtual press conference from isolation after being hit by Covid-19, Trudeau said on Thursday that the federal government would consider any request for military assistance from provincial or city officials – but he does not see it happening in the near future. .
“You have to be very, very careful before deploying the military in situations that involve Canadians,” Trudeau said. “There have been no inquiries, and there are not in the cards right now.”
Merck Trims Antiviral Sales View (09:01 NY)
Merck & Co. said early on Thursday that it now expects lower sales for its Covid antiviral molnupiravir than previously estimated. The company is now projecting $ 5-6 billion in sales of the drug for the year, compared to an earlier estimate of $ 5-7 billion.
EU’s Valneva Review to Take Longer (8:56 am NY)
The French pharmaceutical manufacturer Valneva SE’s vaccine may not receive a decision from EU regulators until after mid-April, which prolongs the review process.
The European Medicines Agency is waiting for more data from Valneva that covers the entire adult population, said Marco Cavaleri, the regulator’s head of biological health threats and vaccine strategy, at a briefing on Thursday. The pace of the review depends on when the data is available, although it is unrealistic to expect it before Easter, he said.
Subvariant has spread across Africa (08:50 NEW)
The Omicron sub-variant known as BA.2 has been found across Africa, and countries should sequence more samples so that the extent of its spread can be determined, the World Health Organization said.
So far, the tribe has been found in Senegal in West Africa, Kenya in East Africa and Malawi, Botswana and South Africa in southern Africa, Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, a virologist at the WHO, said on Thursday in a conference call.
Sub-variant Dominant i Danmark (08:22 NY)
The Omicron variant BA.2 accounts for 69% of confirmed cases in Denmark and will reach 100% in mid-February, according to a study by the Danish virus watchdog SSI. BA.2 is about 30% more contagious than the original omicron, known as BA.1, the study found.
While unvaccinated people overall have a greater risk of contamination, those who have been vaccinated are more likely to catch the new strain than BA.1. Denmark lifted all its Covid restrictions on Tuesday despite record-breaking daily falls, as hospital admissions and the number of people with serious illness are gradually declining.
UK regulator clears Novavax shot (7:41 NY)
Novavax Inc.’s vaccine was approved by the UK Regulatory Authority for use in persons aged 18 years and older for a first and second dose. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said nuvaxovid, as the protein-based injection is known, will be the fifth Covid vaccine approved for use in the UK.
Health Minister Sajid Javid said the next step will be for the Independent Joint Committee on Immunization and Vaccination, the government’s inoculation advisory panel, to consider its use as part of the country’s Covid vaccination program.
Europe could see Covid “ceasefire:” WHO (6:43 NY)
Europe is at a crossroads in the fight against the pandemic with a potential “ceasefire” in sight, according to the regional director of the World Health Organization.
While cases and hospital stays from the omicron-powered wave are still increasing in Europe, deaths are starting to plague, Hans Kluge told reporters on Thursday. As the micro-wave subsides, Europeans will have a relatively high level of immunity from vaccines and past infections.
“This period of higher protection should be seen as a ceasefire that can give us lasting peace,” Kluge said. He called for a “drastic” increase in vaccinations, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
EU proposes to extend certificate (06:14 NEW)
The European Union proposes to extend its Covid digital certification system by one year, until the end of June 2023, as it aims to facilitate travel even when many governments ease or eliminate pandemic-related restrictions.
“Without this extension, we risk having many different national systems and all the confusion and obstacles that this would cause,” Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said in a statement.
Africa needs $ 1.29 billion for vaccine expansion (6 in the morning NY)
Africa lacks at least $ 1.29 billion to fund the expansion of vaccines, the World Health Organization said, citing data from 40 of the continent’s 54 countries. Only 11% of Africa’s 1.2 billion people are completely inoculated and the vaccination rate per week must be doubled to reach the target of getting 70% immunized by the middle of this year, the WHO said on Thursday.
German group backs second booster (18:06 HP)
The German Vaccine Commission recommends a second messenger RNA booster syringe for the elderly and people with weakened immune systems or who work in medical and other health care facilities.
The second booster should take place at least three months after the first for people who are at least five years old and at increased risk of serious illness, the commission said. For those working in medical and other care facilities, the second booster should take place at least six months after the first, the commission said.
Case in Indonesia near six months (17:59 HP)
Indonesia recorded the highest number of infections in almost six months as the omicron variant spreads. The government reported 27,197 new cases on Thursday, the most since August 14. The number of cases has risen sharply from less than 100 to the end of December.
HK cases can penetrate the health system (17:56 HP)
Hong Kong officials warned that the city could see exponential growth in infections as the number of undetectable cases continues to rise, potentially overwhelming the healthcare system. The financial hub reported 31 unconnected infections among 142 new cases on Thursday. Of these, 121 were local cases. Another 160 preliminary positive cases were detected.
Singapore nods to Pfizer Pill (17:16 HP)
The Singapore Health Sciences Authority approved Pfizer Inc.’s oral Covid pills. Paxlovid is the first tablet approved in the city state for the treatment of mild to moderate disease in adult patients. It will be prescribed and prioritized for people at higher risk for serious illness.
Sweden’s lifting restrictions (15:36 HP)
Sweden will lift the restrictions from next week, with reference to a high vaccination rate and a manageable situation in its hospitals, despite what is called a massive increase in the spread of infection. – It is time to open up Sweden again, said Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to reporters in Stockholm.
“The worst is behind us,” said the French minister (14:20 HK)
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said the country had endured the most difficult part of the latest pandemic.
“The worst is behind us,” the minister said late Wednesday on BFM TV, adding that the number of hospital admissions is at its peak.
France’s vaccine passport could be phased out before July if current infection trends continue, he said. About 7 million people will lose their vaccine passes by February 15 if they do not receive a booster.
S. Africa Excess Deaths Fall (14:10 HK)
South Africa’s abundant deaths, seen as a more accurate assessment of the effects of the coronavirus than official statistics, have dropped to levels last seen before the omicron variant was identified.
The number of excessive deaths, a measure of mortality above a historical average, dropped to 886 during the week ending January 23, compared with 1,329 the week before, according to a report by the South African Medical Research Council. This is the lowest since the week ended on October 24.
Omicron at the Beijing Olympics (13.00 HP)
The Beijing Olympic Committee reported the highest daily number of cases for Olympic-related staff, with a total of 55 people testing positive on February 2 at the airport and inside the closed circle protecting Olympic participants and staff from the rest of China.
The world-leading female ski jumper Marita Kramer from Austria will miss the Olympics because she did not recover from the virus in time, Reuters reported. The Games, which will be held jointly in Beijing and the adjacent city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, will run from February 4 to 20.
Tokyo will raise medical system alert (10:28 HP)
Tokyo will raise its alert for strains on the medical system to the highest level as cases continue to increase, FNN reported, citing an unidentified person. Experts will meet on Thursday and will raise it to level 4 from 3.
Japan’s death rate for Covid reached its highest level in more than four months, according to data compiled by Our World in Data, as daily falls broke the previous record last week. The country reported 94,930 new daily cases and 82 deaths on Wednesday, according to the TV broadcaster NHK.
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