(Bloomberg) – Covid-19 continued a resurgence in Europe, with Germany registering more than 1,000 new infections for a third consecutive day and Italy reporting the most new cases since mid-May. Cases in England have increased by more than a quarter in a week. In Spain, which is sitting after a second wave, following a strict lockdown, new infections are somewhat slower.
French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out another national lockdown, saying the country would rely on local strategies to curb a reboot of the virus. CureVac and the European Commission are in talks on offering 225 million faxed doses.
In India, a study found that nearly 30% of New Delhi residents had the virus, while in the US, applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased, taking a break in the long recovery of the labor market.
Key Developments:
Global Tracker: cases above 22.4 million; deaths pass 789,000 NYC landlords press financial bosses to return quickly and save city Virtual classes can not stop the explosion of off-campus virus casesKim Jong Un’s tough warning tips about crisis in North KoreaIt’s the crunch time for European workers after summer of job cutsVaccine Tracker: Where we’re in the race for Covid-19 protection
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England Cases Rise as Economy Reopens (1:02 pm NY)
Virus levels in England increased by more than a quarter a week through August 12, underscoring the risks to Boris Johnson’s government as it seeks to stimulate economic activity without triggering a new peak in the pandemic.
The UK Department of Health reported 6,616 new Covid-19 cases during the period, an increase of 27%, even though the total number of tests people fell by 2%. Positive cases among those presenting clinical distress, such as hospital and healthcare workers, have increased by 34%, the largest turnout since the government began its testing and tracking program at the end of May.
Johnson ministers have gradually opened up parts of the UK economy, trying to shift the focus to dealing with new outbreaks targeting local lockdowns instead of national measures.
Cuomo Increases Vote for Mail (12:38 PM NY)
Governor Andrew Cuomo drafted legislation that would make it easier for New Yorkers to file absentee ballots to encourage people to vote who are afraid of exposure to the coronavirus. The new law, he said, was also driven by what he called undermining the Trump administration’s postal service to suppress the vote.
“The federal administration has ordered an unusual attack on the US Postal Service and with Covid-19 threatening our ability to have secure, personal votes, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election on one of the most important moments in the history of our nation, ”he said in a statement.
The new law allows people who are afraid of infection to request an absent vote and outlines rules for counting votes by when they are postmarked or received.
J&J Set to Begin with Big Vaccine Trial: DJ (11:47 am NY)
Johnson & Johnson plans to test its anti-Covid-19 vaccine on 60,000 people worldwide, the largest vaccine trial to date, Dow Jones reported.
The Phase 3 trials, to begin in early September, are double the size of other fax tests. Dow Jones quoted a Johnson & Johnson spokesman as saying it “wanted to enroll a robust number of participants who are representative of those populations affected by Covid-19.”
The trials will run in 28 U.S. states with high transmission rates and eight hard-hit nations, including Brazil, the Philippines and South Africa, the article said.
Arizona Cases Steady; Deaths Drop (11:40 a.m. in NY)
Arizona reported 723 new virus cases on Thursday, an increase of 0.4% to 196,280 corresponding to the previous seven-day average. The state Department of Health Services also reported 50 new deaths from Covid-19, down from 105 the day before, bringing the toll to 4,684.
Florida Positive Rate Extends Decline (10:50 AM NY)
Florida reported 588,602 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, up 0.8% from a day earlier, consistent with the average increase of the previous seven days.
The new daily rate of people testing positive for the first time fell to 6.8% for Wednesday, the lowest since June 14. The state has reported 31,465 new cases in the past seven days, the worst in a similar period since late June.
Deaths among Florida residents reached 10,049, an increase of 117, or 1.2%, according to the health department’s report, which includes data through Wednesday. Although cases and hospitalizations in Florida are slower, the state reports more than 1,000 new Covid-19 deaths a week. Deaths often follow infections by weeks, and it generally takes even longer to reflect in the data.
Sweden joins EU AstraZeneca package (10:45 AM NY)
The Swedish government has decided to join the European Union agreement to distribute a coronavirus vaccine through drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc.
Sweden expects to receive about 6 million doses based on the size of its population, and the country’s health agency has committed a budget of 2 billion kroner ($ 229 million) to finance vaccine purchases, according to Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.
US Jobless Claims Unexpected Top 1 Million (8:54 am NY)
Start-up unemployment claims in regular state programs were raised last week to more than 1.1 million, even after analysts predicted a decline, fresh evidence that the recovery of the U.S. labor market will happen in fit and start.
Poland Mulls Restrictions in Krakow (8:46 am NY)
Poland could place Krakow, one of the largest cities, such as Katowice, the center of the Silesian mining region, under special restrictions due to a large number of coronavirus infections, Deputy Minister of Public Health Waldemar Kraska said at a news conference on Thursday.
Scotland Cases Rise After Schools Reopen (8:14 am NY)
Scotland reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases in nearly three months, with several small clusters linked to schools reopening last week. Larger spikes were previously sourced to a pub in the oil town of Aberdeen and a food processing plant in a small town.
Nearly 30% exposed to virus in Indian capital (7:43 a.m. in NY)
About 30% of the residents in the capital of India, New Delhi, have contracted the coronavirus, according to a seroprevalence study of more than 15,000 people conducted by the state health authorities.
The prevalence of Covid-19 antibodies increased to 29.1% in the first week of August, from 23.48% found in the survey held between 27 June and 10 July.
Estee Lauder cut 2,000 jobs (7:12 p.m. in NY)
Estee Lauder Cos. Plans to cut 1,500 to 2,000 jobs worldwide and increase its digital operations after lockon of coronavirus beat the demand for cosmetics.
With consumers switching to more online shopping, the company said it plans to close 10% to 15% of its independent stores.
Alibaba Growth Back by Pre-Pandemic Levels (6:40 am NY)
The quarterly income of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. grew a better-than-expected 34%, signaling that Chinese consumer sentiment is returning to a quick clip from its Covid-19 trough in the first three months of 2020.
CureVac, EU in talks for 225 million vaccine doses (17:37 hrs)
The European Commission is closing initial talks with CureVac NV to buy 225 million doses of vaccine, according to a statement. The commission also continues discussions with other fax manufacturers.
Hong Kong business stays ahead of levels (4:33 AM)
Hong Kong’s latest outbreak shows further signs of diminishing, with the government reporting 17 new local cases on Thursday. While more than two-thirds of the city’s infections of more than 4,600 have occurred since July, daily local cases have remained below 100 for two weeks.
Singapore Air Burns Through Cash (16:07 hrs HK)
Singapore Airlines Ltd. has spent half of the S $ 8.8 billion ($ 6.4 billion) burned through share sales in just two months, highlighting how carriers continue to spend even when planes are grounded.
Of the S $ 4.4 billion spent since mid-June, S $ 1.1 billion was used for administrative expenses, transportation for fuel trading and card refunds from canceled flights due to the pandemic, the airline said.
Norges Bank does not see close change to zero rate (16:06 hrs HK)
Norges Bank said it is likely to hold interest rates on record for some time to give the economy room to recover. The Oslo-based central bank on Thursday lowered its benchmark rate to zero, where it has been since a series of emergency cuts in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis earlier this year.
Philippines plays size of stimulation (3:01 hrs HK)
The Philippine economy can recover even without a massive stimulus package, said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, with Congress urged to approve a second pandemic bill.
“It’s not just the size of the stimulus package that matters now, but also whether it actually saves the productive parts of the economy,” Dominguez said in an email of his speech at a business conference.
A legislative committee has agreed to recommend a $ 165.5 billion ($ 3.4 billion) relief bill to Congress for final approval by Congress, said Senator Sonny Angara, a member of the panel.
Mauritius Target ein sept. to Reopen (2:47 AM HK)
Tourist-dependent Mauritius intends to reopen its borders by the end of next month, Le Defi Quotidien reported, with an unidentified official.
The process will be phased with priority given to visitors from countries considered safe regarding the pandemic. Before it reopens, a laboratory will be set up at the airport to increase test capacity, the Port Louis base said daily.
Sardinia Isolation Threat (2:32 AM)
The Italian government was able to take measures to isolate Sardinia, one of the busiest regions for summer holidays, following a rise in cases of coronavirus linked to the island, Corriere della Sera reported, citing unnamed officials.
Germany new infections rise (13:15 hrs HK)
Germany registered more than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus for a third straight day, with the number of infections close to Tuesday its four-month high.
Cases increased by 1,586 in the 24 hours through Thursday morning, compared to a gain of 1,420 a day earlier and 1,693 on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. That brought the total to 229,706. There were eight dead, taking the total of the land to 9,249.
South Korea reports 288 new cases (11:28 am HK)
South Korea’s latest virus cases include 276 local infections. Falls linked to Sarang Jeil’s church stood at 630, while about 700 members of the church were yet to be reached. Authorities asked participants in an anti-government rally held in Seoul on August 15 to take virus tests, despite symptoms.
Kim Jong Un hints at Growing Crisis (10:37 am HK)
Kim Jong Un acknowledged that North Korea’s development goals were ‘seriously delayed’, a sign that sanctions, flooding and the coronavirus had hit the country’s economy three times.
Kim told a meeting of the ruling Central Committee of Korea’s Labor Party that the country is facing “unexpected and insurmountable challenges in various aspects,” state media reported. “Plans to achieve the goals of improving the national economy have been seriously delayed and the standard of living of the people has not improved significantly,” he said, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
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