Detroit, Baltimore, Phoenix Lead U.S. Cases: Virus Update

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Detroit, Baltimore and Phoenix recorded the biggest recent rate of increases in Covid-19 cases, according to CDC data. Even so, the U.S. as a whole is on course for the fewest weekly infections since early October. Nationwide air travel reached 1.35 million people on Friday, a record during the pandemic.

Norway, among the countries that have suspended the use of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine, said three people who received the shot are being treated for severe blood clots and cerebral hemorrhages but said it was too soon to say if there was a connection.

The World Trade Organization’s new leader said more should be done to ensure poorer nations receive vaccines. The U.K. is reported to be on track to offer every adult a shot sooner than expected, putting pressure on the government to ease lockdown restrictions.

Key Developments:

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California Deaths Top 55,000 (2:45 p.m. NY)

California reported 217 more deaths from Covid-19 yesterday, for a total of 55,095, according to the health department’s website. There were 3,230 new cases reported, as the outbreak eased enough for the state to relax restrictions in 13 counties including Los Angeles, starting Sunday.

The seven-day positive test rate hovered at 2.1%, down 0.2% from the previous period. California has administered more than 11.4 million vaccines in total.

Australia, Singapore Discuss Travel Pact (2:09 p.m. NY)

Australia and Singapore have held talks about allowing travel between them by nationals of the two countries who have had Covid-19 vaccinations, The Age reported, citing Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan.

“Singapore are very keen to work with Australia on a proof of vaccination certificate and we agreed our officials should work together on this,” Tehan said, according to the Melbourne-based newspaper.

Detroit, Baltimore Lead U.S. Increase (1:58 p.m. NY)

Detroit, Baltimore and Phoenix recorded the biggest percentage increases in Covid-19 cases during the week ended Thursday, according to a list of major metro areas tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ranking next were San Juan, Puerto Rico, Minneapolis and Nashville, Tennessee.

New York City stagnated, while Houston, Atlanta and Dallas showed the biggest declines compared to the previous week. Fifteen of 20 U.S. urban areas with populations between 250,000 and more than 1 million showed a decrease, according to the CDC. St. Cloud, Minnesota, led increases in a group of smaller cities with a 125% jump.

U.S. Hot Spots

Cities hit with high weekly Covid case increases

Source: CDC Community Profile Report

Note: Increases reflect March 5-11 cases compared to previous week

The data, which ranks cities with high or increasing case burdens, don’t include Los Angeles and Chicago. However, Los Angeles was the only one of 10 metro areas with high mortality that showed an increase in weekly deaths -- by 13% to 905.

Kentucky Nears Anti-Vax Law (1:48 p.m. NY)

A measure that would allow Kentuckians to refuse any vaccine for a “conscientiously held belief” cleared the state House Friday and is headed for likely passage next week in the Kentucky Senate.

“This is not about the Covid-19 vaccine; it’s about any vaccine,” outspoken anti-vaccination advocate State Representative Savannah Maddox said during floor debate Friday.

The bill would eliminate state health officials’ ability to mandate vaccines in response to a future pandemic. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear has repeatedly stated that his administration wouldn’t require vaccination against Covid-19. The legislature is controlled by Republicans.

Call for EU Summit on Vaccine Fairness (1:16 p.m. NY)

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his colleagues from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia are demanding a European Union summit on what they claim is uneven distribution of vaccines in the bloc.

Their demand, set out in a letter to EU Council President Charles Michel, comes after Kurz complained Friday that some countries get more than others and that there’s an opaque “bazaar” for doses.

Outbreak Hits New Hampshire Nursing Home (11:52 a.m. NY)

An outbreak has hit a New Hampshire nursing home where most of the residents and staff have been vaccinated, the Union Leader reported. The state has reported 11 cases among residents and five among staff members at the facility owned by Alpine Healthcare. The outbreak comes several weeks after the facility began limited visitations, the newspaper reported. More than 800 of New Hampshire’s total 1,189 deaths since the pandemic began have occurred at long-term care facilities, state data show.

Norway Reports Clots After Astra Shot (11:01 a.m. NY)

Norway, among the countries that have suspended the use of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine, said three people who received the shot are being treated for severe blood clots and cerebral hemorrhages but said it was too soon to say if there was a connection.

The people, who were all “of younger age,” had a reduced number of platelets in the blood, the Norwegian Medicines Agency said in a statement on Saturday.

N.Y. Hospitalizations Fall (10:56 a.m. NY)

Hospitalizations for Covid-19 in New York state, which has been battling the highest number in the U.S., fell further to 4,617, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. That number has declined by 337 in the last week, he said.

The state reported 6,600 new cases, among the lowest for any day this year. The statewide positive test rate fell slightly to 2.92%. Another 77 people died, he said.

U.S. Air Travel Hits Pandemic High (10:47 a.m. NY)

U.S. air travel reached 1.35 million people on Friday, a record since the pandemic descended in mid-March a year ago, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. Air travel is still down more than 40% compared with the equivalent Friday in 2019.

Hong Kong Locks Down Elite (9:52 a.m. NY)

Hong Kong abruptly locked down four buildings in the heart of a popular expatriate residential area, taking one of its most dramatic steps yet to contain a super-spreading event that began in a gym and put many of the city’s elite and their families on edge.

Authorities cordoned off two towers each at the Robinson Place and Blessings Garden residential complexes in the exclusive Mid-Levels neighborhood, according to a government statement Saturday. All residents will be required to be tested at mobile testing stations before 2 a.m. Sunday and the lockdown will likely be lifted by 9 a.m., it said.

U.S. Outbreak Continues to Slow (7:45 a.m. NY)

The U.S. added 57,741 new cases Friday, near the end of a week on track to end at the lowest level since the beginning of October, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg show. The average number of daily cases over the last week has fallen 15% compared with the previous week.

Another 1,648 deaths were reported, with average daily fatalities dropping more than 20% from the prior week. While cases have fallen below the peak of last summer’s surge, deaths remain above that level.

WTO Leader Bemoans Vaccine Availability (7:10 a.m. NY)

The World Trade Organization’s new leader, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urged vaccine manufacturers to extend licenses to other companies to aid the rollout in poorer nations. There are more than 130 nations without a single dose, she told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. She also called for the abolition of export restrictions on medical goods, such as those imposed in the EU.

German State Vaccine Delay (6:18 a.m. NY)

The state of Thuringia stopped booking new vaccination appointments due to delivery problems for AstraZeneca’s shot. The state’s health minister told newspaper Tagesspiegel that the delivery shortage is “absolutely unacceptable,” and will delay the start of vaccinations through general practitioners.

Tests for Hong Kong Students (6:10 a.m. NY)

Hong Kong officials ordered compulsory Covid tests for school children in a class whose teacher tested positive for the virus. The school is one of the pricey international schools linked to a new cluster centered on the business and expatriate community.

Jordan Health Minister Resigns (6:05 a.m. NY)

Jordan Health Minister Nathir Obeidat resigned on Saturday after at least six coronavirus patients died in a public hospital due to a shortage of oxygen, state-run Petra news agency reported. The country’s prime minister ordered an investigation into the deaths in the central town of Al-Salt.

U.K. Vaccine Progress (6:50 p.m. HK)

The U.K. is on course to offer every adult a vaccination by June 10, beating a government target and about two months ahead of the European Union, the Times reported, citing researcher Airfinity. Separately, the Telegraph said everyone over the age of 40 should be offered their first shot by early April, with a supply boost allowing the program to expand next week. That will put pressure on the government to speed up the relaxation of lockdowns, it said.

Denmark Lowers Risk Level (6:10 p.m. HK)

Denmark lowered its national virus assessment level to 4, from 5, after infections declined by 2% in the past week. For the capital region, the risk level will remain at 5. The situation is “stable” but the country needs to act quickly in case of regional spikes in infections, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Twitter.

New Hong Kong Cases (6 p.m. HK)

Hong Kong reported 47 new virus cases, 35 of which were linked to an outbreak at a gym in the city center. A total of 99 confirmed infections were related to Ursus Fitness gym, the head of communicable diseases at the Department of Health said at a press conference on Saturday. There were more than 10 new preliminary positive cases, seven of which were were believed to be linked to the gym.

The source of infections for four of the new cases was untraceable, while four were imported.

Norway Infections Surge (5:22 p.m. HK)

Norway registered the second-highest number of infections in one day with 905 cases, up by 220 a day earlier. More than one-third of the new infections were in Oslo and the ratio of younger people among the sick is rising, local media reported.

German Infections Rise Again (5:05 p.m. HK)

Germany reported 12,700 new virus cases, the second-highest daily figure since the start of March, and the country’s seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 people climbed to the highest in more than a month. On Friday, the head of the Robert Koch Institute warned that Germany is at the start of a third wave of infections, just as the government has started lifting some lockdown restrictions.

Hungary’s ICU Patients at Record High (4:55 p.m. HK)

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care reached a record high 989 on Friday, as the nation struggles with the spread of a British variant. Hungary closed schools, nurseries and non-essential stores on Monday, and 1.3 million of the country’s 10 million have received at least on vaccination shot.

Prepare Now for Next Pandemic, BioNTech CEO Says (1:45 p.m. HK)

In any future pandemic, drugmakers and governments should aim to have enough production capacity to immunize the entire world within three months of a vaccine being developed, BioNTech SE Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said in an interview.

A vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer Inc. was the first authorized for Covid in the U.S. and Europe, getting emergency clearance in December. In case of another pandemic, a public-private partnership might be needed given the huge costs involved in drug development, Sahin said.

“We were not prepared to manufacture sufficient doses for the whole population on this planet,” he said. “That has to change. We need to be prepared not only to develop a vaccine fast, but also to produce sufficient doses.”

Hundreds of Cases at Tesla Plant: WaPo (11:43 a.m. HK)

Tesla’s production plant in the San Francisco Bay Area recorded hundreds of Covid-19 cases following Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s defiant reopening of the plant in May, according to county-level data obtained by a legal transparency website, the Washington Post reported.

The document, which PlainSite obtained following a court ruling, showed Tesla received around 10 reports of Covid-19 in May when the plant reopened and saw a steady rise to as many as 125 cases in December.

Musk fought the county-mandated shutdown, arguing Tesla should be allowed to continue producing cars despite stay-at-home orders. The data, covering May-December, showed there were around 450 reported cases at the plant, which has a workforce of about 10,000.

— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Emily Cadman, Taiga Uranaka, Tassia Sipahutar, Christian Wienberg, Carolynn Look, Veronika Gulyas, Yinka Ibukun, Yueqi Yang, Misha Savic, and Alexander Ebert

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