(Bloomberg) —
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to announce the government will send millions of rapid-result tests to states, and urge that they be used in schools. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that his state is seeing an uptick in its Covid-19 positivity rate.
Cases worldwide have now topped 33 million, while the global death toll is nearing one million. In Europe, Germany could face more than 19,000 new cases a day by Christmas, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned, while France marked the first decline in new cases since August. In Greece, 12 crew members on a cruise ship tested positive.
Russia is also seeing a resurgence of cases, and Moscow has started to reopen temporary hospital wards after daily coronavirus infections in the Russian capital soared. In Italy, though, case numbers dropped.
Key Developments:
Global Tracker: Cases top 33 million; deaths exceed 998,000Covid-19 death toll nears 1 million, but real number may be doubleU.K. dangles threat of tougher London rules as cases soarLess than 1% chance of catching Covid-19 flying, says JetBlueWho’s succeeding against the coronavirus and why: QuickTake
Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.
U.S. to Send Rapid Tests to States (2:58 p.m. NY)
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to announce the government will send 100 million rapid-result tests to states, urging that they be used in schools as a way to help restore the economy.
The tests, made by Abbott Laboratories, will be sent out over the next several weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the plans before Trump spoke. They’ll be distributed at the discretion of state governors, the person said.
A single-use device about the size of a credit card, the test provides results within just 15 minutes without using any laboratory equipment, so it can be administered almost anywhere. The U.S. shipments will come from an order of around 150 million tests the federal government previously arranged to buy from Abbott.
France reports lowest daily rise in cases since August (2:07 p.m. NY)
France reported 4,070 new cases, marking the first decline since mid-August. The seven-day rolling average of new infections fell to 12,083 from 12,258 on Sunday. Virus-related deaths rose by 81 to 31,808.
The decline comes as the strictest new measures to close bars early in many cities came into force. Health Minister Olivier Veran has said hospital admissions and deaths linked to Covid-19 will inevitably follow the country’s increase in cases. .
WHO to Provide Access to 15-Minute Tests (12:40 p.m. NY)
The World Health Organization and non-profits including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation say they will help provide access to 120 million antigen tests to 133 low- and middle-income countries that can give results in 15 minutes.
Abbott Laboratories and SD BioSensor are producing the tests, reserving a fifth of their production to countries most in need. Distribution will begin in October, and the tests will cost $5 each or less. The Global Fund is also participating, though further funding is needed.
New York Sees Positivity Uptick, Cuomo Says (12:20 pm N.Y.)
New York is seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases, particularly in Brooklyn, and Orange and Rockland Counties, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday. Of the 52,000 tests done on Sept. 27, 834, or 1.5%, were positive, he said on a call with reporters. The number of tests coming back positive throughout August and the first week of September were at or below 1%.
Eleven New Yorkers died as a result of the virus, and 543 people hospitalized. Some 2.6% of tests in Brooklyn were positive, and 3% were positive in the Mid-Hudson region, he said. “Brooklyn is a major contributor in the number of cases,” Cuomo said.
U.K. New Case Numbers Continue to Drop (11:45 a.m. N.Y.)
The U.K. reported 4,044 new cases Monday, compared to 5,693 the previous day and a peak of 6.874 at the end of last week. Boris Johnson’s spokesman James Slack warned earlier that it’s too early to say if the government’s decision to restrict social gatherings to groups of no more than six is having an effect. Ten deaths were reported.
New Italian Cases Drop; Naples Hit Hard (11:30 a.m. N.Y.)
Italy reported 1,494 new cases Monday, compared with 1,766 the previous day and a seven-day average of 1,674.Unlike the first wave of the virus, when Lombardy was the epicenter, the region of Campania around Naples registered the most cases Monday, with 295 new infections in one day. Sixteen deaths were reported, in line with previous days, while hospitalized patients increased by 141 to a 3,241.
Positive Tests on Cruise Ship in Greece (10:25 a.m. N.Y.)
Twelve crew members tested positive on a Tui Cruises-operated ship, Greek authorities said Monday. The vessel is carrying more than 900 passengers and 600 crew members. Testing wasn’t conducted on the passengers because they had to test negative before embarking. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Pireaus, Greece’s largest port, on Tuesday.
Inovia Puts Partial Hold on Vaccine Study (8:42 a.m. N.Y.)
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. put a partial hold on a phase 2-3 study of its Covid-19 vaccine after U.S. regulators raised questions about a delivery device used in the inoculation. The shares plunged in pre-market trading.
The vaccine maker is working to answer questions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the Cellectra 2000 device used in the trial, Inovio said Monday. The delay is not due to any adverse events from the vaccine, Inovio said
Merkel Warns of Possible Surge by Christmas (6:45 a.m. NY)
Germany will face more than 19,000 new Covid-19 cases a day by the end of December if the current trend in infections isn’t halted, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Monday. The country recorded about 11,000 cases last week. The country must act quickly to avoid the same rapid rise in cases that has been seen in neighboring countries such as France, which has been reporting an average of about 12,000 cases each day, Merkel told leaders of her party.
France to Issue Record Debt to Fight Coronavirus (6:42 a.m. NY)
France will match 2020’s record debt sales next year as the country combats the economic fallout from the pandemic. The euro area’s second-largest economy will issue 260 billion euros ($303 billion) of medium and long-term debt in 2021, Agence France Tresor said on Monday.
U.K. Rule Rebellion Gains Ground (5:35 p.m. HK)
A Conservative Party rebellion against Boris Johnson’s emergency coronavirus powers is gaining momentum after opposition parties signaled their support. The House of Commons plans a vote Wednesday on renewing legislation that allows ministers to impose new rules to combat the pandemic without first seeking parliamentary approval. But a growing band of Tory rebels want to amend the law to put a check on the government’s power.
On Monday, Health Minister Helen Whately didn’t deny that more restrictions may be in the offing, telling Sky News only that ministers “don’t want” to bring them in.
Meanwhile, bars in the U.K. parliament will no longer be exempt from a ban on the sale of alcohol in pubs after 10 p.m. The U-turn comes after the Times reported that Westminster did not need to comply because its bars are classed as workplace canteens. The House of Commons on Monday said it would follow the 10 p.m. curfew.
Moscow Reopens Temporary Covid-19 Wards (5:20 p.m. HK)
Moscow has started to reopen temporary hospital wards after daily coronavirus infections in the Russian capital soared. The region reported 2,217 new cases of Covid-19 in the last day, with the number of daily infections up 3.5 times since the start of September.
City hall ordered eight hospitals in the capital, which is the epicenter of the virus in Russia, to reequip themselves to handle patients by early next week, the Interfax news service reported. Moscow began demobilizing its temporary wards in late May.
Hong Kong Wave Seems to Fade (5 p.m. HK)
Hong Kong’s latest coronavirus wave is showing signs of subsiding after months of social-distancing measures, posting single-digit increases in daily confirmed cases for seven of the last eight days. That has pushed the rolling seven-day average daily infection rate down to about 5, the lowest since the end of June and well before the start of the current surge of infections.
Diageo Says Sales Improving as Bars, Restaurants Reopen (2:53 p.m. HK)
Diageo Plc said it expects business in July to December to improve versus the first six months of the year as bars and restaurants reopen following coronavirus lockdowns.
Business has improved in all regions since June, and the U.S. is ahead of expectations, Chief Executive Officer Ivan Menezes said in a statement. Bars are open in all states in that market, with some restrictions. In Europe, pubs have largely reopened in most countries, though the company noted the risk of new restrictions where Covid-19 infection rates are worsening.
Thailand to Extend Emergency Rules: Deputy PM (1 p.m. HK)
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force, which is chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, agreed to extend a nationwide state-of-emergency for one more month through Oct. 31, according to Deputy Premier Wissanu Krea-Ngam. The move, which needs Cabinet approval, will be the sixth extension since Thailand’s first order in March.
The task force also approved a special tourism visa that will be effective from Oct. 1, according to Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
India’s Cases Top 6 Million (12:04 p.m. HK)
India’s coronavirus infections crossed the six million mark as the outbreak accelerates through the world’s second-most populous country. Infections rose by more than 80,000 and now stand at 6,074,702, according to data released by the health ministry. Some 95,542 people in India have died from the disease.
India has the world’s second-highest case tally and its underfunded health-care system faces a growing challenge to control the outbreak, which is escalating through the nation’s hinterland and drawing resources away from routine health services.
Beijing Urges Halt to Some Frozen Food Imports (10:44 a.m. HK)
Beijing’s city government is requiring companies to stop importing frozen food from countries with serious coronavirus outbreaks, according to a statement on the local commerce bureau’s website. The statement didn’t name any nations.
The city’s move is the latest restriction on imports in China. The nation has been investigating imported meat, seafood, packaging and containers as a potential source of Covid-19 since June.
G-20 Leaders Summit to Be Held ‘Virtually’ (7:28 a.m. HK)
The G-20 Leaders’ Summit, which had been planned for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will now be held “virtually,” according to a statement posted to the G-20 website.
The G-20 summit gathers leaders of the world’s largest country together for a multi-day summit meeting. The agenda this year “will focus on protecting lives and restoring growth, by addressing vulnerabilities uncovered during the pandemic and by laying down the foundations for a better future,” according to the statement.
Morrison Pleads for Lockdown End in Australia Hotspot (7:26 a.m. HK)
The leader of Australia’s second-largest state has announced the end of a nightly curfew in Melbourne sooner than originally expected as the pace of new coronavirus infections in the city slows.
That’s not enough for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is urgently seeking to reboot the stalled national economy and is pleading for Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews to quickly remove more lockdown curbs implemented almost two months ago.
U.K. to Enforce Lockdown in North, Maybe London: Times (7:24 a.m. HK)
U.K. is preparing to enforce a social lockdown across much of northern Britain and potentially London as the country deals with a second wave of coronavirus, the Times of London reported, citing unidentified government officials.
All pubs, restaurants and bars would be ordered shut for two weeks, according to the report. Schools would stay open as well as shops, factories and offices where staff can’t work from home.
Vaccine Likely to be ‘Partially Protective’: Gottlieb (3 p.m. NY)
Coronavirus vaccines now in development are likely to be “partially protective” but won’t prevent everyone who’s inoculated from becoming infected, said Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The expectation is that this vaccine is going to be partially protective, a lot like the flu vaccine, where for certain people it will provide full immunity, but for other people it’s not going to provide as much protection,” Gottlieb said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
France Cases Slow (1:59 p.m. NY)
France reported a third daily decline in new cases, falling to 11,123 on Sunday from 14,412 on Saturday. The seven-day average remained above 12,000 for the third day. France reported 27 additional deaths, taking the total to 31,727.
French Adamant Against Lockdown (8:05 a.m. NY)
French Health Minister Olivier Veran rejected the idea of a preemptive, three-week lockdown to enable people to spend Christmas together.
“We don’t want to bring the economic, social, cultural, sports and family life of the French people to a complete standstill,” he said on LCI television. “That’s why we take decisions that are adapted to the seriousness of the moment, region by region.”
He said the government still aims for people be able to spend the end-of-year holidays with their families.
No Letup in U.S. Cases (8:00 a.m. NY)
U.S. virus cases increased by 45,444 on Saturday to 7.08 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. The 0.7% rise was in line with the average daily increase over the previous seven days. An additional 740 deaths nationwide were reported on the day, matching the average increase over the previous week.
For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.