(Bloomberg) -- Singapore is becoming a popular escape for Hong Kongers frustrated and anxious about the government’s handling of Covid-19. A net 71,000 people left Hong Kong in February, and there are more flights to Singapore than anywhere else aside from Shanghai.

Three children under the age of 5 have died in Hong Kong’s outbreak, a disproportionately large number that has local parents anxious, though pediatricians say it could just be a grim coincidence. Japan plans to further ease border controls while extending virus restrictions for Tokyo and 17 other regions as infections linger in the country.

Europe is again welcoming tourists, but Chinese travelers — some of the biggest spenders before the pandemic — are nowhere to be seen, as the country’s zero-tolerance approach means international travel is basically off the table.

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• Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 441 million; deaths top 5.9 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 10.8 billion doses administered
• Coronavirus Daily: Are you ready for normal life?
• China’s Covid stance has created $280 billion tourism black hole
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Covid Deaths Among HK Children Alarm Parents

Three children under the age of 5 have died in Hong Kong’s spiraling Covid outbreak, a disproportionately large number that has local parents anxious, though pediatricians say it could just be a grim coincidence.

While the numbers are too low to draw any conclusions, according to experts, the kids -- aged 11 months, 3 and 4 years old -- make up nearly 0.3% of the 1,153 fatalities that have occurred in this wave of infections. None had known underlying health conditions. Their deaths are being investigated by the coroner, according to the Hospital Authority.

The childhood deaths are higher than in countries such as Australia and Singapore, which originally adhered to the same zero-tolerance policy as Hong Kong. Australia has more than 5,300 Covid fatalities, including six in children. No one under age 20 has died from the virus in Singapore during the past year. 

Japan to Ease Border Restrictions

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to further ease Japan’s border controls for the pandemic while extending virus restrictions for Tokyo and 17 other regions until March 21, as infections linger in the country.

He told a Thursday news conference his government would raise a cap on daily arrivals from overseas to 7,000 starting March 14 from the current 5,000, giving priority to students. Japan eased some of the developed world’s most stringent virus border measures Tuesday, but had set the cap on arrivals so low it would take months to clear the enormous backlog of people waiting for entry.

China Covid Stance Creates Tourism Black Hole

After two long years, piazzas and shopping boutiques across Europe are again welcoming tourists, with one big difference: Chinese travelers — some of the biggest spenders before the pandemic — are nowhere to be seen. It’s the same in Southeast Asia, where tourism-dependent economies are throwing open their doors, but the white-sand beaches of the Philippines and night markets of northern Thailand are all but deserted.

China’s borders remain effectively sealed as the country continues to pursue a zero-tolerance approach to a virus that other parts of the world have accepted as endemic. For the country’s 1.4 billion people, international travel is basically off the table with weeks-long hotel quarantines on return and flight options severely limited. Fear of Covid, which is stamped out aggressively when it flares in China, is also a factor.

Hong Kong Residents Escape to Singapore

Frustrated and anxious about the government’s handling of Covid-19, some Hong Kongers are looking to flee, even if it’s just to wait out the worst of the outbreak. Rival financial hub Singapore is a popular escape. 

A net 71,000 people left Hong Kong in February, the biggest outflow since the pandemic began, as the city’s most rampant wave of Covid intensified. While Hong Kong is effectively shut off from a raft of countries it deems high risk, there are 137 scheduled flights to Singapore in March, more than anywhere else aside from Shanghai, which is off limits to most non-Chinese citizens. 

Many of those leaving are doing so temporarily, hoping to avoid the mandatory mass Covid tests Hong Kong plans to start in mid-March. But others are eyeing longer shifts, and schools in Singapore are receiving a surge in interest from Hong Kong parents.

Racial Gap in NYC Hospitalizations

Black New Yorkers were hospitalized at two times the rate of White New Yorkers during the winter omicron surge. It’s the widest disparity in hospitalizations seen in two years of the pandemic, according to the New York City Health Department.

“This is a significant inequity — and a particularly alarming one — so far into the pandemic,” said Michelle Morse, NYC Health’s chief medical officer. And it came during a time when the dominant variant had a lower risk of hospitalization than its predecessor, delta.

Apple to Drop Mask Mandate

Apple Inc. will begin to drop its mask requirement for both corporate and retail employees in the U.S. as Covid-19 cases decline and local governments loosen restrictions. The changes come a week after the company dropped its mask mandate for customers at many locations.

Lilly, Incyte Arthritis Drug Reduced Deaths

Eli Lilly & Co. and Incyte Corp.’s rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib reduced the risk of death from Covid-19 in a large U.K. study, bolstering evidence that the class of inflammation-fighting medicines can help infected patients.

Adding baricitinib to standard treatments lowered the risk of death among hospitalized Covid patients by 13%, according to results from the U.K. trial, called Recovery, in 8,156 people with the disease. Most of the patients also received steroids, and about one-quarter also got a different type of arthritis drug, Roche Holding AG’s Actemra. 

Biden Asks Congress for Ukraine, Covid Aid

The White House is asking Congress for $10 billion in emergency funding to boost its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, part of a $32.5 billion supplemental request that also includes extra funds for fighting the pandemic.

For the fight against Covid-19, the administration asked for $22.5 billion for immediate new investment in testing, anti-viral treatments and improved vaccines in anticipation of a possible new variant and subsequent wave of infections. Funding would also flow to global vaccine efforts. 

Republicans have said new Covid spending should be paid for by repurposing unspent money from last year’s economic rescue plan. So far lawmakers and the administration have to determined where those funds could come from.

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