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The European Union could adopt a Covid-health document that would allow people to prove they’ve been vaccinated, tested or recovered from the virus to speed travel and facilitate larger public gatherings, a French official said.
In the U.K., which is allowing leisure travel to resume from Monday, the spread of the Indian variant could threaten the final phase of lockdown easing set for June 21, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Sunday.
The number of new coronavirus cases dropped in India though the death rate shows little sign of slowing in the world’s worst pandemic hot spot. Singapore tightened travel with Taiwan and plans to vaccinate children under 16 after a spike in cases among students. Taiwan is racing to contain its worst outbreak of the coronavirus, while averting a full lockdown.
Key Developments
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EU Covid Travel Pass May be Available by Late June (4:50 HK)
A health travel pass in the EU will be available from around June 20, French junior minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune said in an interview Sunday on Europe 1 radio interview. The pass will show either proof of vaccination against Covid-19, immunity due to past infection or the result of a negative PCR test. Beaune says he’s pushing for quarantine measures to be lifted once the pass is operational. Only vaccines approved by the European Medicine Agency will be accepted as proof of vaccination. That would exclude Russian and Chinese vaccines, he explained. France will implement its own health pass from June 9 for major gatherings of more than 1,000 such as festivals and concerts, he added.
U.K. to Decide on Final Opening in Mid-June (3:15 HK)
The U.K. government will make its decision on whether to go ahead with the final lifting of Covid-19 restrictions on June 14, with the spread of the Indian variant in parts of the country threatening to delay the end of lockdown measures set for June 21, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Sunday on Sky TV. The government is seeking to increase daily vaccinations to 1 million a day as part of its drive to beat the Indian variant, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Current vaccination levels are less than 600,000 a day.
Cyclone Heads to India Amid Virus Woes (3:15 p.m. HK)
A cyclone is set to hit the western coast of India -- the country’s industrialized belt with big refineries and ports -- prompting authorities already grappling with a deadly second virus wave to start preparations for evacuating citizens.
Cyclone “Tauktae,” currentlt about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the financial hub of Mumbai, is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning in the southern districts of Gujarat, with wind speeds touching 175 kilometers per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department. It has intensified into a “very severe cyclonic storm,” the national weather forecaster said in a tweet Sunday.
Local authorities in Mumbai have already moved hundreds of Covid-19 patients to other facilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told senior government officials to ensure “maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health and drinking water,” according to a May 15 statement from Press Information Bureau.
India Virus Cases Ease (1:50 p.m. HK)
India reported 311,170 new infections Sunday, continuing the downward trajectory seen in the past few days, bolstering hopes that cases may have peaked after a deadly second wave that overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums. The case tally has crossed 24.6 million, according to the India’s health ministry. More than 182 million vaccine doses have been administered.
While the daily surge in cases is ebbing, there’s no let up in deaths with the Asian nation reporting 4,077 more casualties, pushing the total to 270,284. Those death toll numbers might be understated, according to local media reports of bodies floating along river banks in the northern states.
The Dainik Bhaskar, a Hindi newspaper popular across India’s crowded heartland, fanned 30 of its reporters along the banks of the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh state. They found -- and photographed -- more than 2,000 corpses across some 1,140 kilometers (708 miles). The state government claims only about 300 are dying daily.
Their findings make grim reading: authorities are piling silt over more than 350 bodies lying in shallow graves in Kannauj, the reporters say; they see dogs gnawing at some of the 400 corpses just a short distance from a crematorium in Kanpur; they count 52 corpses floating down the river in Ghazipur, often crossing state borders.
Singapore to Vaccinate Children (11:30 a.m. HK)
Singapore plans to vaccinate children under 16 years old after a recent rise of Covid-19 infections among students in the island state, according to Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.
The ministries of education and health are working out plans for the “vaccination of our students,” Chan wrote on his Facebook page. “Once the approval for use is granted, we will roll out vaccinations to those below 16.”
The ministry ordered home learning for seven primary schools for the rest of their academic term. At least 10 children tested positive for coronavirus in the past week, all linked to learning centers.
The Southeast Asian nation Sunday returns to a month of the lockdown-like conditions it last imposed a year ago. The government banned dining-in and limited gatherings to two people because of a rise in the number of untraceable virus infections. Singapore had been one of the world’s success stories in containing Covid.
Thailand Eases Some Restrictions (10:20 a.m. HK)
Thailand will relax some restrictions from Monday, including limited dine-in services in the Thai capital and neighboring provinces. The nation reported 2,302 new cases on Sunday, sending total confirmed cases to 101,477. Of that total, 72,584 are new infections since April 1, in a third wave that started at night entertainment venues in Bangkok.
China’s Vaccination Drive Picks Up (10:15 a.m. HK)
China’s northeastern Liaoning Province reported nine coronavirus infections on Sunday, five of which are asymptomatic. So far, more than a dozen infections have been reported locally in China since May 13, when one patient in the eastern province of Anhui tested positive at a hospital.
China’s detection of the first new cluster in several months has pushed vaccination rates to a record high. Covid inoculation has been accelerating this month, with daily doses jumping from about 5 million to a record 13.7 million on Friday.
As of Friday, China has given out 381 million doses, the most in any country of the world. Beijing has set a goal to vaccinate 40% of its population by the end of June, which means it needs to administer at least 560 million doses.
Brazil Restricts Flights (5:51 p.m. NY)
Brazil, still fighting off a major outbreak driven in part by a virus variant, will restrict flights from India, the U.K. and South Africa to avoid the spread of a strain first found in India. The restrictions will be place for two weeks and exempt cargo carriers, the government said.
Deaths in Brazil declined for a fifth consecutive week, dropping to the lowest level since mid-March, according to health ministry data. The country reported 2,087 new fatalities on Saturday, for a total 434,715, the most after the U.S.
Weekly cases ticked up for the third time, but remain almost 100,000 below a peak in March. Another 67,009 cases were reported Saturday, for a total of almost 15.6 million.
U.K. Reported to Double Vaccinations (5:14 p.m. NY)
The U.K. aims to double the pace of vaccination to hit as many as 1 million shots a day, in part to combat the rapid spread of a virus variant first found in India, the Telegraph reported. Without citing sources, the newspaper said the drive can increase doses from 500,000 to 800,000 within two weeks. The hope is to reach 1 million over the summer with the likely approval of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Florida Parks Loosen Mask Rules (4:52 p.m. NY)
Florida’s other major theme parks joined Walt Disney World in loosening masking policies.
Universal Studios Orlando set a policy in line with that of Disney World, saying masks are optional outdoors but are required inside, including in shops, restaurants and attractions. Unlike updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the park made no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors.
SeaWorld Orlando and its sister park Busch Gardens Tampa said that people who were fully vaccinated didn’t have to wear masks at all, though in line with CDC guidance. “We will not require proof of vaccine, but ask our guests to respectfully comply with our revised policy,” statements from the parks read. Park workers must continue to wear masks.
CDC Says Schools Should Keep Masks (3:43 p.m. NY)
U.S. schools should maintain mask requirements at least through the end of the academic year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest guidance, even after saying fully vaccinated adults can safely shed face coverings in most settings.
“Universal and correct use of masks should be required” at K-12 schools providing in-person instruction, the CDC said in a statement Saturday. “Physical distancing should be maximized to the greatest extent possible.”
That includes creating distance between children on school buses when possible and ensuring that “teachers and staff use proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette,” according to the agency.
N.Y. Hits 50% for Fully Vaccinated Adults (1:02 p.m. NY)
Governor Andrew Cuomo said that more than half of New Yorkers 18 years and older are now fully vaccinated, and 61% have at least one dose. Almost 17.5 million shots have been administered.
New York’s outbreak eased further. The state reported 2,041 new cases, and a seven-day average of 1.18% for positive test results, among the lowest in the U.S. Hospitalizations continued to fall.
Unlike many other state leaders, Cuomo has not announced changes to rules on mask wearing after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened its guidelines on Thursday.
Donations to Colombia Urged (12:36 p.m. NY)
Democratic lawmakers urged the Biden administration to immediately make available tens of millions of surplus vaccine doses to Colombia and to Latin America more broadly. The request came in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on a call to end U.S. weapons sales to the Colombian police.
“Colombia is undergoing its third and most deadly surge of Covid-19. We can make a genuine difference in restoring health, security, confidence, and hope among the Colombian people,” the lawmakers wrote.
Bloomberg News reported Saturday that the “stockpile” of shots in the US is less apparent than many believe, since most unused doses are scattered across tens of thousands of locations.
Singapore Limits Taiwan Travel (12:20 p.m. NY)
Singapore won’t allow entry to short-term travelers holding an Air Travel Pass with travel history to Taiwan within the past 21 days amid rising infections.
Others with travel history to Taiwan in the past 21 days who are not Singapore citizens or permanent residents will be required to take a test within 72 hours before departure, and would need to present a negative test result as a condition of approval for entry, the Singapore Ministry of Health said in a statement Saturday.
Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders entering the country who have been to Taiwan, will be subject to a 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities, followed by an additional 7-day quarantine at their homes.
France Passes Vaccine Milestone (11:21 a.m. NY)
President Emmanuel Macron tweeted on Saturday that 20 million people have now received a first vaccine dose in France. Earlier today, Prime Minister Jean Castex said the goal was to administer 30 million first doses by mid-June. “The situation is improving,” Castex said.
As of Friday night, almost 30% of France’s total population had received a first dose and 38% of those 18 years and older, the government said.
Disney World Loosens Mask Rules (9:11 a.m. NY)
Disney World Resort made masks optional in common outdoor areas, although they’re still required indoors, on all attractions and transportation.
The theme park in Orlando, Florida, will continue to make adjustments as guidance evolves, it said late on Friday. Florida has no statewide mask mandate, though private businesses may require them.
Walmart, the U.S.’s largest private employer, said on Friday that fully vaccinated staff and customers did not need to wear masks. At least two of the largest casinos in Las Vegas also dropped masking rules.
U.S. Cases Continue to Decline (7:30 a.m. NY)
Overall infections in the U.S. continued their decline to the lowest levels since early autumn, even as the country recorded slightly more than 41,000 new cases on Friday, the most in a week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.
Heading Into Summer
U.S. 7-day average cases on the decline
Source: Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg
As vaccines roll out at a steady if slower pace, average weekly cases were down or even in all U.S. states and territories except Wyoming, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fatalities also continued to decline, with another 746 deaths recorded, albeit at a slower rate than cases. Daily fatalities haven’t been above 1,000 in more than a month.
Bank Staff Dying in India (5:45 p.m. HK)
Indian banks have lost more than a thousand employees and many more are infected, S. Nagarajan, the general secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Association, said on Saturday.
With more than 24 million people sickened in India and over 266,200 dead, most Indian states are in a lockdown with strict stay-at-home orders. But the banking sector is slotted as an essential service and is partially exempt from the lockdown orders.
Lenders are allowed in some cases to call as much as 50% of their workforce into branches to avoid any disruption in banking services.
Singapore Reports More Local Cases (4:50 p.m. HK)
Singapore reported 19 new local virus cases on Saturday and 12 imported infections.
Checking in to a hotel room in Singapore, starting Sunday, could also mean agreeing to random checks from staff to ensure only two guests are in the room, a step one hotel in the Marina Bay area is asking customers to agree to.
People who breach the safety measures may be fined as much as S$10,000 ($7,506) or jailed for as long as six months, or both, according to the document given to staycationers at check-in.
Singapore is returning to lockdown-like conditions after seeing a rising number of untraceable virus infections. Bloomberg’s Derek Wallbank reports.
Source: Bloomberg
— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Ros Krasny, Virginia Van Natta, Angelina Rascouet, and Luzi-Ann Javier
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