Texas Warns Unvaccinated; Europe Outbreak Worsens: Virus Update

11/8

(Bloomberg) -- Nations across Europe are considering strategies to confront a new wave of cases.



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Flights to U.S. Reopen at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport© Bloomberg Flights to U.S. Reopen at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
Denmark, which has one of the highest vaccination rates on the continent, plans to reintroduce some restrictions to halt a recent spike in cases. Germany’s infection rate soared to the highest since the start of the pandemic.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. unveiled some promising data for its antibody cocktail. Global cases of people infected with the virus surpassed 250 million, according to Johns Hopkins University research.

Japan reported zero Covid deaths for the first time in 15 months. Singapore is rolling back some curbs as its outbreak eases.

Key Developments:
Virus Tracker: Cases at 250.1 million; deaths at 5.05 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 7.29 billion shots givenInternational travel to the U.S. has resumed. Who’s going where?China deems people almost a kilometer apart as close contactsOne of world’s poorest countries found better way to do stimulusWhy new pills to treat Covid could be game changers: QuickTake
Texas Study Shows Risk to Unvaccinated (3:37 pm NY)
Texas warned residents that the unvaccinated are about 20 times more likely to perish from the virus than fully vaccinated people and 13 times more likely to test positive.

The data was the result of a four-week, in-state study that compared electronic lab reports, death certificates and state immunization records, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement. The risk of death was 48 times higher for unvaccinated people in their 30s and 63 times higher for those in their 40s, the study found.

“This analysis quantifies what we’ve known for months,” Jennifer Shuford, the state’s chief epidemiolgist, said in the statement. “The Covid-19 vaccines are doing an excellent job of protecting people from getting sick and from dying from Covid-19.”

N.J. to Lift School Mask Rules in Phases (3:30 p.m. NY)
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he expects to lift school-mask requirements in phases, beginning with older students who are further along getting vaccinations. He gave no timeline for when the mandates would be lifted.

High schoolers 12-to-17 years old would go first, as about 60% already have received their shots, Murphy said Monday at a virus briefing. Children 5 to 11 just became eligible for the vaccine, and less than 10,000 have gotten their first jab so far out of 760,000 eligible in that age group.

Denmark to Bring Back Curbs (2:50 p.m. NY)
Denmark, which has one of Europe’s highest vaccination rates, plans to reintroduce some restrictions to halt a recent spike in cases.

Danes will have to again present so-called corona passports to attend public events, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference late on Monday. The move follows a recommendation from health authorities that the country reclassify the virus as a disease that poses a critical threat to society.

Chicago Police Say 78% Are Vaccinated (2:50 p.m. NY)
The Chicago Police Department’s share of employees reporting their Covid-19 vaccination status as required by the city rose to 78%, Superintendent David Brown said Monday. The figure has climbed in recent days, Brown said.

U.K. Adds to Approved Shot List for Visitors (12:45 p.m. NY)
The U.K. government said beginning Nov. 22, travelers coming to England who received Covid vaccines on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing will be treated as fully vaccinated. Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing and Covaxin will be added to the list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, according to the U.K. government website.

NYC Boosts Sick Leave for Kids Vaccines (11:30 a.m. NY)
New York City is extending additional paid sick leave to city workers and contractors so they can get their children vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a briefing. He said workers would get four extra hours per child for each shot their children receive.

Greece Reports Another Daily Case Record (11:30 a.m. NY)
Greece reported a new high of daily cases with 7,335 infections. It’s the sixth record in the past nine days, while the government took extra measures last week to contain spread of the virus by reaching out to unvaccinated people. Bookings for the first dose of the vaccine has been rising since then.

U.S. Hospitalizations at Lowest Since July (10 a.m. NY)
Almost 6% of hospital beds in U.S. hospitals were occupied by Covid-19 patients on Nov. 7, the least since July 28, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The hospitalization rate fell to 5.9% from 6.0% the day before, and hospital beds occupied by Covid-19 patients totaled 45,121. Idaho has the greatest percentage of beds occupied by Covid-19 patients at 13.0% followed by Montana at 12.1%

Covid Cocktail Gets Positive Review (7:28 a.m. NY)
Regeneron’s antibody cocktail cut the risk of contracting Covid-19 by 82% for up to eight months, according to a company-sponsored study that could pave the way for its broader use.

The company has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the authorization so the drug can be used to prevent infections, even when it’s given before a person has been exposed.

Biden Administration Makes Push to Vaccinate Kids (7:16 NY)
The Biden administration is starting a new push across the country to mobilize school superintendents and principals to boost vaccinations in kids age 5-11, White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz says on Twitter.

First Lady Jill Biden is visiting vaccination sites for children Monday to help in this effort.

Singapore Partly Rolls Back Curbs (5:26 a.m. NY)
Singapore is easing some tough restrictions put in place more than a month ago, with five people from the same residence allowed to dine at restaurants starting from Wednesday.

The changes mark some relaxation of restrictive curbs that were reimposed on one of the most vaccinated countries in the world amid a jump in infections that have tested its health-care system.

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