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Merck & Co. is abandoning its two experimental Covid-19 vaccines after early trial data showed they failed to generate immune responses comparable to a natural infection or existing vaccines.

Global coronavirus cases approached the 100 million mark, as infections in the U.S. surpassed 25 million. The U.S. is stepping up surveillance of virus variants to monitor their impact on vaccines, and nations worldwide are looking at travel restrictions.

Why the Mutated Coronavirus Variants Are So Worrisome: QuickTake

According to a Bloomberg ranking, New Zealand holds onto pole position for the third month running as the best place to ride out the pandemic, while Mexico remains last of the ranked economies.

France may go into another lockdown and Israel will bar foreign flights at least through the end of the month. Moderna Inc. postponed a planned vaccine delivery to Poland, adding to concerns around vaccine supply in Europe.

Key Developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases exceed 99.1 million; deaths pass 2.1 million
• Best and Worst Places to Be in Covid: Vaccine Not Slowing Deaths
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 65.5 million shots given worldwide
• World’s economic recovery delayed by slow vaccine rollouts
• U.S. won’t relax travel restrictions as Trump had planned
• World’s richest shake off crisis in record setback to inequality
• Why delaying the second Covid vaccine shot is messy: 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.

Merck Shelves Virus Vaccines (7:02 a.m. NY)

Trial results from Merck’s V590 and V591 were “disappointing, and a bit of a surprise,” said Nick Kartsonis, senior vice president of clinical research for infectious diseases and vaccine.

Both shots generated fewer neutralizing antibodies to halt infection than other Covid-19 vaccines, and produced inferior immune responses compared with people who had naturally contracted the coronavirus. Neither of Merck’s candidates were ultimately among the six primary vaccines in the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed portfolio, though its leadership watched them closely.

EU Commission Head Raises Astra Delays With CEO (7 a.m. NY)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke with AstraZeneca Plc Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot about announced delays in the company’s delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to EU countries.

“She made it clear that she expects AstraZeneca to deliver on the contractual arrangements foreseen,” commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters in Brussels. The commission, the EU’s executive arm, last year signed an advance purchase agreement with Astra in behalf of member countries for as many as 400 million doses of its vaccine, which may win bloc-wide regulatory approval later this week.

Hong Kong Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine for Emergency Use (6:10 p.m. HK)

The Hong Kong government says Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine meets requirements for emergency use after considering the advisory panel’s opinion.

A first batch of about 1 million doses of vaccine is expected to arrive in Hong Kong from Germany in late February.

Israeli Airport Closure Set to be Extended (5:45 p.m. HK)

The closure of Israel’s international airport to passenger flights may be extended at least a month. While Israel’s vaccination drive is proceeding quickly, infections are also spreading rapidly, apparently due to variants of Covid-19 arriving with travelers, Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at the ministry, said. The government said over the weekend the airport would be closed until at least the end of January.

Last week, Israel extended its lockdown to the end of January to keep cases down as it progresses with its vaccine campaign.

Moderna Delivery Delay in Poland (5:30 p.m. HK)

Moderna canceled its planned vaccine delivery to Poland scheduled for Tuesday, Michal Dworczyk, chief of staff to country’s prime minister, said. Supplies are now expected to arrive over the weekend at the earliest, he told reporters.

Ireland Mulls More Travel Curbs (5:15 p.m. HK)

Ireland’s government will decide in coming days if arrivalS should face mandatory quarantine if they don’t have proof of a negative test, while South Africa and Brazil travelers may also be required to isolate amid new virus variants.

Police are increasing checks close to airports to prevent non-essential travel out of the state. Schools are also set to remain closed beyond Jan. 30.

Thailand to Start Vaccination Program From Feb. 14 (3:48 p.m. HK)

Thailand plans to begin its national vaccine rollout from Feb. 14, starting with health-care and front-line workers, according to the Health Ministry. As vaccine availability remains limited, target groups with higher infection risks will be administered the shots during the first of a three-phased rollout plan, Permanent Secretary of Public Health Kiattiphum Wongrajit said Monday.

Merkel Aide Warns of Problems With Virus Mutation (2:32 p.m. HK)

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, warned that faster-spreading mutations of the coronavirus will inevitably “get the upper hand” and “make problems” in Germany.

“We’re seeing that multiple hospitals are having to deal with the mutation,” Braun, who runs Merkel’s office, said late Sunday on ARD television. “That means it has arrived in the country and at some it will get the upper hand and make problems, I am very sure of that,” he added.

Dutch Police Arrest Protesters Against Virus Measures (2:36 p.m. HK)

Protests against coronavirus measures, which included a curfew that started Saturday evening, continued for a second on Sunday across cities in the Netherlands. Protests in Amsterdam led to 190 arrests after people threw rocks and fireworks at police officers. The curfew runs between 9 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. and is on top of other measures, including the shuttering of non-essential shops and restaurants, that will last until at least Feb. 9.

Tokyo Cases Continue to Ease (2:32 p.m. HK)

Tokyo reported 618 new cases on Monday, the fewest since Dec. 28, when the latest wave was about to accelerate. It’s also the second day in a row where cases fell to below 1,000, signaling the state of emergency that’s in place for major cities may be having some effect. However, the lower number may in part reflect a cutback in contact tracing, which could lead to more cases going undetected.

California Governor Seen Lifting Stay-at-Home Order: NBC (2:14 p.m. HK)

California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to announce Monday the lifting of a stay-at-home order, NBC Bay Area reported, citing a letter from the California Restaurant Association to its members. The letter said senior officials in the Newsom administration confirmed the move with the association.

Australia Halts Quarantine-Free NZ Travel: ABC (1:59 p.m. HK)

Australia has suspended quarantine-free travel for New Zealanders arriving in the country for 72 hours, after a woman was infected in New Zealand with the South African variant of Covid-19, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Travelers coming from New Zealand to Australia in the next 72 hours will have to go into mandatory hotel quarantine, ABC said.

Tighter Travel Rules Mulled in N.Z. After Case Emerges (11:24 a.m. HK)

New Zealand is considering restricting the movement of returning travelers even after their two-week forced isolation period, as a woman who tested positive for Covid-19 after leaving quarantine became the country’s first local infection in two months.

The 56-year-old fell ill several days after completing 14 days at an Auckland quarantine hotel earlier this month with the South Africa variant of the virus, and is likely to have contracted it from another traveler staying on the same floor of the facility, said officials.

China City’s Residents Chafe at Restrictions (11:04 a.m. HK)

Residents are chafing at aggressive restrictions imposed in the northeastern Chinese city of Tonghua. Some of the city’s two million residents have been complaining on Chinese social media about the shortage of necessities, saying people were suddenly banned from leaving their homes without sufficient time to prepare.

Jilin province, where Tonghua is located, reported 67 cases on Monday, the highest daily number on record. While total confirmed locally transmitted cases in China’s latest outbreaks this year now stand at 1,706, daily infections in Hebei and Heilongjiang province have come down slightly from last week’s peak.

Mexico’s President Says He’s Infected With Covid-19 (8:40 a.m. HK)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he’s infected with Covid-19 after the country posted record increases in cases and fatalities from the outbreak in the past week.

The president announced his diagnosis in a tweet, saying his symptoms are mild and that he’s receiving treatment. He’s also expected to stay on top of the country’s affairs, and will take a scheduled call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday.

Jakarta Confirms Extension of Restrictions to Feb. 8 (8:38 a.m. HK)

Jakarta is extending restrictions of movement by two weeks to Feb. 8, in line with the national policy, to curb a rise in cases in the Indonesian capital. Some of the restrictions include a requirement for religious places and non-esssential businesses to operate at 25% to half the capacity, while no public events are allowed, the Jakarta government said in a statement.

U.K. Considers Stricter Border Controls (5:29 p.m. NY)

The U.K. is considering tightening controls at its borders to prevent the import of new strains of coronavirus, which it fears may undermine the success of its vaccination program.

“The conversation has changed about the borders,” Britain’s health secretary Matt Hancock said on Sky News on Sunday. “These new variants can really set us back and we need to protect ourselves against them coming in.”

Australia Clears Pfizer Vaccine (5:07 p.m. NY)

Australia’s drug regulator provisionally approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, clearing the way for the country’s first jabs in late February.

Aged-care and disability-care residents and workers, front-line healthcare workers, quarantine and border workers will receive the vaccine first, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.

Hong Kong Lifts Lockdown (4:54 p.m. NY)

Hong Kong lifted its first lockdown over the weekend that affected thousands of residents after it completed testing the people in the area to contain a worsening outbreak.

The government tested about 7,000 people, mostly in Kowloon’s Yau Ma Tei and Jordan areas -- known for their night markets -- and found just 13 confirmed coronavirus cases, it said in a statement. The effort involved more than 3,000 government officers from 16 departments, it said.

U.S. Plans Ban for Most Non-Citizens From South Africa (4:08 p.m. NY)

The U.S. will ban entry to most non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in South Africa in response to the new Covid-19 strain there, according to a White House official familiar with the plan. It’s unclear how long the restrictions will continue.

The Biden administration will also continue restrictions on travel to the U.S. from Brazil, the U.K., Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that the Trump administration planned to relax as of Monday, said the official, who requested anonymity because the plans haven’t been made public.

— With assistance by Jeff Sutherland