The U.S. will pay $1.95 billion for an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine, consistent with prior agreements. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s top aide told lawmakers she withheld data on Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes, newspapers including the New York Times reported.
Japan is poised to begin vaccinations amid criticism for being among the last developed countries. It signed off on the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE vaccine for emergency use.
The gauge used to measure the virus’s spread dropped in the U.K. to its lowest level since July, as the country surpassed 4 million cases. Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged mistakes in handling a spike in infections and preparing Germany for the vaccine rollout.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases exceed 107.9 million; deaths pass 2.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 159 million shots given worldwide
- Yellen takes ‘go big’ message to G-7 to aid economic recovery
- Pandemic sets stage for euro-area showdown over debt rules
- Next Africa: AstraZeneca’s vaccine findings set back a continent
- Putin pitches Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine but still won’t take it
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.
N.Y. Extends Restaurant, Bar Hours (12:10 p.m. NY)
Governor Andrew Cuomo allowed restaurants and bars in New York to stay open an hour longer starting Sunday, citing declines in infection rates and hospitalizations. Closing time will be extended to 11 p.m. statewide, Cuomo said in a statement.
New York City’s trailing one-week average rate of positive Covid-19 tests has fallen to 4%, the lowest since Dec. 26 and a fraction of the 26% rate seen in early January, Cuomo said.
New York state added 8,404 new cases in the latest daily update and another 135 deaths. The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients fell to 7,068, the fewest since Christmas Day.
While New York’s numbers are improving, Cuomo is under pressure for his administration’s accounting of the state’s nursing home deaths. He’s among a bipartisan group of governors and mayors meeting with President Joe Biden on Friday to discuss the need for pandemic relief funding.
U.K. Variant Spreads in Italy (11:53 a.m. NY)
A recent study of 3,984 coronavirus infections in Italy showed that 18% were the more-transmissible strain first found in the U.K., according to Giovanni Rezza, the head of prevention at Italy’s Health Ministry. Silvio Brusaferro, president of the ISS public health institute, said the U.K. variant could potentially replace the “traditional” virus in Italy in five or six weeks.
Italy reported 13,908 new cases on Friday, compared to 15,146 on Thursday, and 316 deaths.
Biden Team Cool to Preflight Virus Tests (10:47 a.m. NY)
President Joe Biden’s administration isn’t seriously considering an imminent coronavirus testing requirement for domestic U.S. flights, people familiar with the matter said.
The prospect of tests being required for flights within the U.S. was floated this month by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It sparked a flurry of reaction from airlines and unions with the industry already suffering significant financial losses and job cuts due to the pandemic.
A testing requirement for domestic flights isn’t under close consideration, though no options are being formally ruled out, the people said.
Amazon Sues N.Y. Attorney General Over Covid Protocols (10:39 a.m. NY)
Amazon.com Inc. is suing the New York State attorney general, arguing that she’s exceeding her authority in seeking to penalize the company for alleged failures in its pandemic safety protocols and treatment of workers at New York City warehouses.
In a complaint filed Friday in Brooklyn federal court, Amazon says Attorney General Letitia James’s office has threatened to sue if the retail giant doesn’t comply with a list of demands, which include subsidizing public bus service and reducing production targets required of workers in its warehouses.
Merkel Acknowledges Mistakes in Pandemic Fight (10:28 a.m. NY)
Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged making mistakes in reacting to a spike in coronavirus infections and by not preparing Germany well enough for the vaccine rollout.
The response in the fall was “too hesitant,” and the government was too slow to require face masks during the first wave of the pandemic, the German leader said Friday in an interview with ZDF television. She defended her strategy of procuring Covid-19 vaccines through the European Union, but admitted she should have explained the ramp-up better.
Cuomo Aide Says Covid Death Data Was Withheld, NYT Reports (9:56 a.m. NY)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s top aide told lawmakers she withheld nursing homes’ Covid-19 death toll for fear it would spark a federal investigation, according to reports in the New York Post and New York Times.
Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa told Democratic leaders that the state rebuffed an August legislative request for the number amid federal demands for a similar accounting, the Post report said.
U.S. to Pay $1.95 Billion for Added Pfizer Vaccine (9:31 a.m. NY)
The U.S. will pay $1.95 billion for an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine that President Joe Biden announced on Thursday. The amount is consistent with agreements made for the prior 200 million doses brought by the government, Pfizer said in a statement Friday.
Biden said the government was also acquiring 100 million doses of the vaccine made by Moderna Inc.
U.K. Outbreak Slows (8:43 a.m. NY)
The U.K. government said it is “confident” the country’s coronavirus epidemic is shrinking, as the reproduction rate of the disease dropped to levels last seen in July.
The latest so-called R number for the U.K. is between 0.7 and 0.9, according to official estimates published Friday, down from 0.7 to 1.0 last week. The last time the upper end of the range was below 1 was on July 31 last year, after the first wave of infections.
New data released Friday from the Office for National Statistics also showed coronavirus infections fell for a fourth week, with around one in 80 people in England having the disease in the period to Feb 6. That’s down from around one in 65 people the previous week.
Belgium Extends Business Support Until End of June (8:39 a.m. NY)
Belgium agreed to extend the existing support mechanisms for businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic by three months until the end of June.
The package includes compensation payments for businesses that are forced to close or lost at least 60% of their revenue, monthly fixed payments for self-employed without an income and the option to seek state wage support for employees without having to fire them. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo calculated the 3-month extension is worth about EUR2 billion.
BD Gets EUA, CE Mark for Molecular Diagnostic Covid, Flu Test (7:05 a.m. NY)
Becton, Dickinson received an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for its molecular diagnostic test that detects Covid-19 and Influenza A+B and returns results in two to three hours.
Japan Panel Signs Off on Approval of Pfizer Vaccine, NHK Says (6:06 a.m. NY)
A Japanese panel signed off on the approval of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, according to broadcaster NHK, paving the way for the nation to launch an inoculation effort that has faced criticism for being one of the last among developed countries.
The nod from the Ministry of Health’s advisory Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council late Friday sets the stage for the government to give official approval of the shot. The official notice could come as early as Feb. 14, Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told reporters Friday evening. It will be Japan’s first approval of a Covid-19 vaccine. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a meeting of a separate virus panel that vaccinations would start from the middle of next week. Japan received its first shipment of Pfizer’s shot on Friday, according to domestic media reports.
Microsoft System Blamed for N.J. Vaccine-Booking Glitches (6 a.m. NY)
Five weeks of stumbles by Microsoft Corp. on New Jersey’s Covid-19 vaccine-booking software have left the state pushing for daily fixes on almost every part of the system and doubting it will ever operate as intended, according to members of Governor Phil Murphy’s administration.
Czechs Warn of ‘Chaos’ After Lawmakers Ease Virus Lockdown (5:55 a.m. NY)
Czech lawmakers rejected a government request to extend the state of emergency beyond this week, scrapping some lockdown measures as the country struggles to contain one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Europe. The vote late Thursday means the state won’t be able to keep shops and services closed, and won’t be able to limit public gatherings.
European Regulator Starts Review of CureVac’s Vaccine (5:33 a.m. NY)
The European Union’s drugs regulator started an early review of CureVac NV’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine, potentially accelerating its path to the market.
A European Medicines Agency committee initiated the rolling review based on preliminary trial results that show promise in combating the coronavirus, according to a statement Friday. The regulator said it will evaluate further findings until enough evidence is available for approval.
Iran Cases Top 1.5 Million, Get Second Vaccine Shipment (6:25 p.m. HK)
Iran’s coronavirus cases surpassed 1.5 million on Friday, with the Health Ministry reporting 7,298 new infections and 58 deaths overnight. The country has recorded some 1,503,753 cases and 58,809 fatalities so far, per official figures.
Iran received a second shipment of the Sputnik V vaccines from Russia on Friday. The two countries have further agreed to begin joint production of the Sputnik jab, according to Iran’s ambassador to Russia. Officials have also said Tehran is in talks with China and India to import vaccines before the start of the new Iranian calendar year on March 20.
EU Made Mistakes in Vaccine Rollout, Commission President Says (6:23 p.m. HK)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted that mistakes were made during the rollout process of vaccines to the European Union. The Commission underestimated issues with the possibility to scale up the vaccine manufacturing process, von der Leyen said during a press conference.
Referring to the bloc’s given up attempt to invoke export controls to Northern Ireland, she said “we shouldn’t even have thought about article 16. But in the end, the result was a good one.” Von der Leyen stressed that “in general whatever happens in this Commission, I take the full responsibility.” Looking forward, she expects “successes and delays” in the further distribution of vaccines, adding that the time in the regulatory process to approve vaccines could still be reduced.
Swedish Outbreak Forces Northvolt to Cut Factory Staffing (6 p.m. HK)
An outbreak of Covid-19 has forced battery-cell producer Northvolt AB to reduce staffing at the construction site of its first large-scale factory in Skelleftea, Sweden. The privately-held company will temporarily halve the number of workers at the site to about 500 as a result of the virus, spokesman Jesper Wigardt confirmed by phone.
Poland Reports 6,379 More Covid Cases (5:43 p.m. HK)
Poland registered 6,379 new Covid cases in last 24 hours versus 7,008 the day before, according to Health Ministry. The country reported 247 new deaths, versus 456 deaths previous day.
Montenegro Approves Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine (5:08 p.m. HK)
Montenegro and St. Vincent and the Grenadines approved Russian-developed vaccine for use, bringing total number of countries that have authorized it to 26, Russian Direct Investment Fund says in statement.
Hungary Seeks 20% Vaccination Rate by April (3:23 p.m. HK)
Hungary seeks to vaccinate 2 million people by Easter with the help of Chinese-developed shots, according to Premier Viktor Orban.
The nation will be able to counter a projected increase in infection rates with the accelerated inoculation process that has benefited from purchases that circumvent joint European Union procurements, Orban said on public radio Friday. Hungary is set to receive 500,000 shots from Sinopharm next week. The vaccine trajectory means the country won’t need to tighten lockdown measures, Orban said.
Switzerland Targets Vaccinations of High-Risk Groups, Newspaper Says (2:47 p.m. HK)
Switzerland aims to have vaccinated all high-risk people against Covid-19 by the end of April, newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported citing a Federal Office of Public Health spokeswoman.
That’s a two-month delay compared with the government’s previously announced target. Like many European countries, Switzerland’s vaccine campaign has been slow on the rollout due to supply shortages and bureaucratic snafus.
U.S. House Panel Approves Funding for Covid-19 Vaccines, Testing (12:31 p.m. HK)
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved more than $46 billion for Covid-19 testing and $20 billion to expand vaccine distribution as part of House Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Legislation, approved by a vote of 31-25, will now advance to House floor with a vote possible during the week of Feb. 22.
— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Angelica LaVito, Jason Gale, Go Onomitsu, Michael Heath, Jason Scott, Jon Herskovitz, Clarissa Batino, Catherine Bosley, Marton Eder, Jake Rudnitsky, Piotr Skolimowski, Niclas Rolander, James Paton, Lisa Du, Elise Young, Dina Bass, Yasna Haghdoost, Peter Laca, Lenka Ponikelska, John Martens, Emily Ashton, Reg Gale, Shelly Banjo, Heather Burke, and Flavia Rotondi