(Bloomberg) -- Thailand cases dropped to a three-month low as the nation is gradually scrapping a mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitors as it tries to revive its tourism-reliant economy. Infections dropped in Singapore, which is also easing restrictions while Hong Kong is sticking with its curbs.
The Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales saw a decline in cases. India’s infection rate dropped to a seven-month low. In the U.S., Texas Governor Greg Abbott banned vaccine mandates.
Molnupiravir moved a step closer to becoming the first oral antiviral treatment for Covid-19 as Merck & Co. and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP sought emergency use authorization for the pill in the U.S. Meanwhile, some countries are already lining up to secure the pill.
Amazon.com Inc. will let company managers decide when corporate employees need to return to the office -- if at all.
Key Developments:
- Global Virus Tracker: Cases top 238 million; deaths exceed 4.85 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 6.5 billion shots given
- Why impact of ‘long Covid’ could outlast the pandemic: QuickTake
- Hong Kong risks global status as Singapore opens up to world
- Merck’s Covid pill faces risk that virus could outsmart it
- The stocks to watch as Covid enters its next phase
India’s Infection Rate Drops to Seven-Month Low (2:45 p.m. HK)
India on Tuesday said it registered 14, 313 Covid-19 cases, the lowest number of daily infections since March 2, according to data released by the country’s health ministry.
The continuing case rate decline comes as India’s vaccination campaign picks up speed. A number of recent antibody surveys also suggest that many of its roughly 1.4 billion citizens have already been exposed to the virus after two huge waves hit the South Asia nation since the start of the pandemic. So far India has disbursed 959 million shots, fully inoculating 20% of its total population, according to Bloomberg’s Vaccine Tracker.
Apeiron Biologics Starts Covid-19 Trial With Inhaled APN01 (2:41 p.m. HK)
Apeiron Biologics has started Phase 1 trial for inhalation of APN01 to directly target the Covid virus in the respiratory tract, the lung and tissue itself, according to statement.
Thailand May Waive Quarantine for Some Visitors (1:32 p.m. HK)
Thai authorities are considering quarantine-free entry for vaccinated travelers from 14 countries from Nov. 1, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand.
The U.S., U.K., Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Russia, Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong are in a list of countries to be considered for the quarantine waiver.
Thailand Monday unveiled a roadmap to revive its tourism-reliant economy by gradually scrapping a mandatory quarantine for vaccinated visitors, joining a growing list of nations in making cross-border travel easier ahead of the year-end holiday season.
Thailand reported 9,445 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest daily tally since July 15.
Intel, Samsung Eye Ho Chi Minh Plant Operations (12:25 p.m. HK)
Units of Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. are targeting to resume full operations of their Ho Chi Minh City plants by the end of November, a move that could provide relief to global supply chains.
Saigon Hi-Tech Park is helping its tenants, many of which are currently running at about 70% capacity, to operate fully next month, the park’s deputy manager said in a phone interview. Many companies operating in the tech park lost about 20% of their export orders in July and August, she was quoted as saying by Saigon Giai Phong newspaper.
Merck’s Covid Pill Is Already Being Snapped Up (12:19 p.m. HK)
Moves by a small group of countries to acquire supplies of Merck & Co.’s promising Covid pill before it’s even approved are raising concerns that some poorer nations could be left behind in a repeat of the slow and inequitable rollout of vaccines.
A global initiative to deploy Covid therapies like Merck’s molnupiravir is at risk of running into the same problems the Covax effort faced and has no clear mechanism to negotiate contracts and supply countries, according to an independent report commissioned by the World Health Organization.
Nations, including Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, have followed the U.S. and already secured molnupiravir or started talks to obtain it.
Australia Parliament to Keep Covid-19 Measures (10:55 a.m. HK)
The precautionary measures introduced before the last sitting of Parliament in August and September will remain in place for the next sitting fortnight from Oct. 18 to ensure it can continue while reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission, according to a statement.
The building will continue be closed to the public and only those staff necessary to maintain essential building functions will be present.
China Calls for Targeted Measures in Winter (8:03 a.m. HK)
Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called for “improved and targeted” measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the autumn-winter season, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Officials should improve accuracy of epidemiological investigations and screening of people suspected of having Covid-19, Sun said when inspecting the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Sporadic cases and clusters of cases should be efficiently handled to minimize the impact on people’s life and work, Sun said.
U.K.’s Johnson Slammed for ‘Fatalistic Approach’ (8 a.m. HK)
Boris Johnson’s U.K. government made serious mistakes in its early handling of the coronavirus pandemic and should have imposed a full lockdown more quickly, a move that would have saved many lives, a parliamentary inquiry found.
In a sharply critical joint report released Tuesday, the health and social care committee and science and technology committee said the U.K. had adopted a “fatalistic approach” to Covid-19 in early 2020, failing to learn from East Asian countries that halted the spread of the virus using swift lockdowns and mass testing.
Instead, the U.K. effectively accepted “that herd immunity by infection was the inevitable outcome,” the committee said. That decision meant the virus was allowed to spread through the population before lockdown eventually began on March 23, 2020, the report said. The government denies that herd immunity has ever been part of its pandemic strategy.
Texas Governor Bans Vaccine Mandates (6:30 a.m. HK)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott outlawed vaccine mandates in the second-largest U.S. state, setting the stage for a showdown with federal government in Washington.
In an executive order signed Monday, the Republican said “no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a Covid-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from Covid-19,” according to a statement from Abbott’s office.
Abbott also plans to add the mandates ban to the agenda of an ongoing special session of the state House and Senate, a procedural move that would enable the Republican-controlled legislature to enshrine his executive order into law.
Cases Drop in Australian States (6:20 am HK)
The seven-day average of cases in Australia’s Victoria state fell for the first time since Sept. 22. The state, home to Melbourne, recorded 1,466 infections in the last 24 hours. It’s the first time the total number of cases has dropped for three straight days since July 31.
Infections also fell in neighboring New South Wales, which has eased restrictions.
Amazon Says Remote Work Is Fine (4:15 p.m. NY)
Amazon.com Inc. will let company managers decide when corporate employees need to return to the office -- if at all -- shifting its earlier stance that workers should resume working from offices in January.
“We’re intentionally not prescribing how many days or which days -- this is for directors to determine with their senior leaders and teams,” Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said in an email to employees. “The decisions should be guided by what will be most effective for our customers; and not surprisingly, we will all continue to be evaluated by how we deliver for customers, regardless of where the work is performed.”
Putin Says He Has a Cold, Not Covid (12:45 p.m. NY)
President Vladimir Putin said he has a cold and he isn’t suffering from Covid-19, after he was heard repeatedly coughing at a televised meeting with officials.
“Don’t worry, everything’s fine,” Putin told a videoconference Monday with his Security Council, also shown on state television. “They do tests practically on a daily basis not only for Covid-19 but for all other infections and everything is OK.”
That unannounced broadcast followed an earlier one Putin held with officials to discuss agriculture, in which he was seen and heard coughing on numerous occasions.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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