The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the US was below 100,000 for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, the first time that happened since the week of November 2. New York’s major venues and stadiums may reopen on Feb. 23 with testing requirements and capacity limits.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel lost a skirmish in a battle with state leaders over how quickly Europe’s largest economy is reopening.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun recommend that Americans wear a cloth mask over a medical mask to slow the spread of Covid-19. A panel from the World Health Organization recommended the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine for all adults over 18 years old, paving the way to speed up vaccinations in developing countries.
Main Developments:
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Merkel gives way in battle for reopening (5pm NY)
German schools and kindergartens could reopen next week, a victory for state leaders over Chancellor Angela Merkel in a wider battle over how quickly Europe’s largest economy will reopen.
Authorities on Wednesday issued guidelines for easing curbs should the coronavirus outbreak continue to wane in the country, starting by granting states the power to open schools and daycare centers. Merkel had advocated maintaining consistent rules across the country and keeping children at home until the end of the month.
Tensions ran high in Berlin under increasing pressure to relax lockdown rules. There were some concessions, with hair salons allowed to open early next month. Other measures – due to expire on February 14 – have been extended to March 7.
California Touts Wins As Deaths Near High (4:50 PM NY)
Governor Gavin Newsom said California is make progress in delivering coronavirus vaccines and improving trends, even as the state stands poised to surpass New York for most Covid-19 fatalities.
The governor said more than 5 million vaccinations have been administered in California, while other data, including new cases and hospitalizations, is heading in the right direction. The state had 45,052 Covid-19 fatalities on Wednesday, compared to 45,306 in New York’s early virus epicenter.
Chicago to Expand Indoor Dining (3:25 pm NY)
Chicago plans to move forward some restrictions will ease from Thursday as the spread of Covid-19 slows. Back office service in bars, restaurants and events can be expanded to a capacity of less than 25% or 50 people per room or floor on Feb. 11, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. Restaurant reopening rules include a maximum of six customers per table, closing at midnight, and ending alcohol sales at 11pm
Merkel sets course for looser curbs in Germany (2 p.m. NY)
Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to gradually reopen Germany’s closed hairdressers, schools and shops, despite her concerns about a renewed spike in coronavirus infections.
While the coronavirus outbreak in the country is steadily declining, authorities on Wednesday issued guidelines to open up the economy if the trend continues. The plan will start with states that can open schools and daycare centers.
Hair salons could open early next month, while other measures – due to expire on February 14 – were extended to March 7, even as the German leader urged a more cautious approach.
NJ Governor Quarantined (1:30 p.m. NY)
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy canceled in-person events and quarantined himself after a family member tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to his communications director, Mahen Gunaratna.
NY Arenas can be reopened with limits (12:45 pm NY)
New York’s major venues and stadiums may reopen on Feb. 23 with testing requirements and capacity limits, said Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The announcement follows “unparalleled success” with a pilot program for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills that allowed 7,000 fans to attend games after testing negative for Covid-19.
Barclays Center will be one of the first to reopen Feb. 23 for the Brooklyn Nets basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Cuomo said during a virus briefing on Wednesday.
Locations with a total capacity of more than 10,000 people must comply with a capacity limit of 10%. All attendees must be able to provide proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the event. Face coverage, social distance, and temperature controls are required along with assigned and socially distant seating.
In related news, Cuomo said the federal government will work with New York to deliver vaccines socially vulnerable communities. Two massive vaccination sites in Queens and downtown Brooklyn will open the week of Feb. 24, each capable of delivering 3,000 doses per day.
Teva in talks to make vaccines, CEO says (12:45 p.m. NY)
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is in talks with the vaccine makers of Covid-19 to help manufacture and distribute injections as the demand for immunizations grows.
The generic drug giant is offering to devote its manufacturing capabilities in the US, Europe and beyond to massive immunization efforts aimed at fighting the pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Kare Schultz said Wednesday.
Astra Shot supported by WHO for all adults (11:20 am NY)
A panel from the World Health Organization has recommended AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine for all adults over 18 years of age, paving the way for speeding up vaccinations in developing countries.
The recommendation may encourage more countries to use the vaccine widely, after some members of the European Union have advised against giving it to the elderly, citing insufficient research data. The effect of the shot in older people is expected to be the same as in younger recipients, Alejandro Cravioto, chair of the WHO expert panel, said in a briefing.
The move is good news for developing countries, many of which are waiting to deliver their first shots, as wealthier countries have already vaccinated millions of residents. AstraZeneca, which co-developed the vaccine with the University of Oxford, has committed significant deliveries to Covax, a facility that aims to distribute vaccines fairly around the world.
CDC Study Shows Advantage of Two Masks (11:05 am NY)
Wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask can enhance protection against aerosol particles and slow the spread of Covid-19, a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds.
The finding, which is part of the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, also examined the effectiveness of changes made to improve the fit of a medical mask.
The study likely forms the basis for new mask guidelines from the CDC. The agency has not yet recommended double masking, as it was waiting to gather evidence about the practice, government officials said.
US business slow to November level (10:45 am NY)
The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the US was below 100,000 for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, the first time that has happened since the week of Nov. 2, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. On January 5, the US published a record number of 405,982 new infections after a holiday period.
EU Approves 23 Additional Vaccine Export Requests (10am NY)
The European Union said it has approved a further 23 requests to ship Covid-19 vaccines to other parts of the world under the bloc’s new export licensing regime, bringing the total to 27.
Wednesday’s disclosure by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, follows last week’s announcement that it had approved four vaccine shipments from the bloc – two to Canada and one to Japan and the UK.
AstraZeneca Explores Options to Speed Up Output (9:40 am NY)
AstraZeneca and IDT Biologika signed a letter of intent to increase European vaccine production and secure long-term delivery capacity. The companies said they are “exploring options to accelerate production of the completed AstraZeneca vaccine in the second quarter of 2021.”
Asthma Medications Reduce Hospital Admissions (9:08 am NY)
AstraZeneca’s Pulmicort asthma treatment reduced the need for emergency care and hospitalization of Covid-19 patients in a small study, and joined a handful of potentially promising treatments for the disease.
According to research from the University of Oxford, Astra’s partner in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, early treatment with the inhaled drug, also known as budesonide, reduced the relative risk of such interventions by 90% over the 28-day study period.
Lithuania takes ‘big risk’ with reopening (9am NY)
Lithuania is loosening lockdown rules and allowing small shops and beauty salons to reopen from February 15th. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the government is “taking a great risk” and that the rules could be reversed if the situation worsens. The Baltic nation will maintain movement restrictions between municipalities, while schools, bars and restaurants will remain closed.
Don’t book summer vacations, UK says (6:45 am NY)
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is “too early” for people to book summer vacations. His comments reflect a shift in tone in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government since there is evidence that virus variants may make vaccines less effective.
“People shouldn’t be booking holidays right now – not domestically or internationally,” Shapps told BBC Radio. ‘We don’t know where we’ll be until in terms of decreases in cases, deaths, vaccination. And not just the vaccination program here, but the vaccination program internationally, because people go beyond our borders. “
Biden’s Schools Push Faces Union Rebuff (6:03 am NY)
President Joe Biden’s pressure to reopen American schools comes headlong in his pledge to support teachers, who are demanding more coronavirus testing, vaccinations, and other safety precautions before returning to the classroom.
The president has pledged to pursue science while encouraging schools to welcome more students back into the classroom, while also enjoying wide support from teachers and their unions. First Lady Jill Biden, a teacher herself, welcomed the heads of the top two teachers’ unions to the White House on the first full day of administration.
– Assisted by Mark Schoifet, Naomi Kresge, Natalie Lung, Rachel Chang, Thomas Penny and Stacie Sherman