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"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 13th Jun 2022

Lockdown Exit
Waive Pharma's Vaccine Rights? What That Would Mean: QuickTake
The world’s top trade ministers will soon determine the fate of a World Trade Organization proposal to water down intellectual property protections for makers of Covid-19 vaccines. The accord as proposed is supported by the European Union, though its other original backers are not quite on board with it. It has also met fierce opposition from both public interest groups and the pharmaceutical industry who are urging nations to reject it.
Shanghai kicks off new round of mass COVID testing, Beijing cases jump
China's capital Beijing is experiencing an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak connected to a bar, a government spokesman said on Saturday, as the commercial hub, Shanghai,conducted mass testing to contain a jump in cases tied to a hair salon. The warning followed a new tightening of COVID curbs in Beijing since Thursday, with at least two districts closing some entertainment venues after a flare-up in a neighbourhood full of nightlife, shopping and embassies.
Beijing warns of 'explosive' COVID outbreak, Shanghai conducts mass testing
China's capital Beijing is experiencing an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak connected to a bar, a government spokesman said on Saturday, as the commercial hub, Shanghai,conducted mass testing to contain a jump in cases tied to a hair salon. The warning followed a new tightening of COVID curbs in Beijing since Thursday, with at least two districts closing some entertainment venues after a flare-up in a neighbourhood full of nightlife, shopping and embassies.
Valneva working on remediation plan for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
French drugmaker Valneva said on Friday it had proposed a remediation plan after receiving the European Commission's notice of intent to terminate the advance purchase agreement for its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate. "Some member states have confirmed their interest in having an inactivated, adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine solution in their portfolio," the company said in a statement. "However, the preliminary, unofficial volume indications received from the EC (European Commission) would not be sufficient to ensure the sustainability of Valneva's COVID-19 vaccine programme." Valneva had warned on May 16 that its COVID-19 vaccine agreement with the European Commission was likely to be scrapped as Brussels had informed the company of its intent to terminate the advance purchase agreement.
US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel
The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the U.S. take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights, easing one of the last remaining government mandates meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Covid-19 infections in UK show early signs of rise
Covid-19 infections in the UK are no longer falling, with some parts of the country showing early signs of a possible increase, figures show. The rise is likely to have been caused by a jump in infections compatible with the original Omicron variant BA.1, along with the newer variants BA.4 and BA.5. It comes as separate figures suggest the recent drop in the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 may also have come to a halt. A total of 989,800 people in private households in the UK are estimated to have had the virus in the week ending June 2, up from 953,900 the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Shanghai to lock down millions, again, for mass COVID-19 testing
Over the weekend, residents in 14 of Shanghai's 16 districts will be locked down and tested for COVID-19. Supermarkets are already overwhelmed with panic-buyers. Shanghai's existing rules mean residents must test for entry to public transport, offices and shopping centres.
COVID-19 vaccine uptake in children stalls as less than 10% of 5-11s jabbed
Less than one in 10 children aged 5-11 have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, more than two months after NHS England began rolling out jabs for this age group, official data shows.
COVID-19: Infections increase in UK for the first time in two months
Almost 990,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the past week - up from around 954,000 last week, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Shanghai to lock down millions again for mass COVID testing
China's commercial hub of Shanghai will lock down millions of people for mass COVID-19 testing this weekend - just 10 days after lifting its gruelling two-month lockdown - unsettling residents and raising concerns about the business impact. Racing to stop a wider outbreak after discovering a handful of community cases, including a cluster traced to a popular beauty salon, authorities have ordered PCR testing for all residents in 14 of Shanghai's 16 districts over the weekend.
Covid infections on the rise in England and Northern Ireland
The UK may be entering its third wave of coronavirus this year, researchers warn, as official figures show infections are on the rise again in England and Northern Ireland. The Office for National Statistics said its latest analysis of swabs from households across Britain revealed a mixed picture with a “small increase” in positive tests in England and Northern Ireland, while the trend in Wales and Scotland remained unclear. The ONS data, which give the most reliable picture of the state of the UK outbreak, suggest that the steady fall in infections over recent months may have gone into reverse as cases are driven up by the more transmissible BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants.
Exit Strategies
Canada to suspend random COVID testing to reduce airport wait times
Canada is suspending random COVID-19 testing at all its airports for the rest of June to ease the long wait times that travelers have encountered in recent weeks, a government statement said on Friday. The random testing will be discontinued from Saturday and will resume "off-site" on July 1, the statement said. Random testing was blamed by some industry officials for lengthening already long wait times at airports. Toronto's Pearson airport has had planes stuck at gates and hours-long security lines because of staffing shortages.
Covid Testing No Longer Need for Flying. Airlines May Not Be Ready
Airlines have been petitioning for months to ease a pandemic-era restriction on arrivals from abroad. Now that the White House has lifted mandatory Covid testing for inbound passengers, the industry may rue having its collective wish granted just ahead of the busiest time of year for travel. As of June 12, travelers by air will join those at land ports of entry in no longer needing to submit negative Covid test results. That rule has depressed traffic and delayed a recovery for long-haul international service, airline lobbyists and the U.S. Travel Association have told the Biden administration repeatedly. But no more mandatory tests may presage an upswell in demand the industry is ill-prepared to handle. The situation in Europe -- where mandatory testing was abandoned as early as January in the UK -- isn’t encouraging.
Capacity limits, COVID-19 tests no longer needed at nightlife establishments from Jun 14
Nightlife establishments with dancing among patrons will no longer be subjected to a capacity limit from Jun 14. Patrons will also no longer need to obtain a negative antigen rapid test (ART) result to enter the venue, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (Jun 10), adding that this move will "rationalise the rules" for nightspots with other social settings. However, vaccination-differentiated safe management measures will continue to apply, with operators still required to conduct such checks to ensure that only fully-vaccinated people enter these settings. Enforcement officers may carry out random checks to ensure that operators comply, said MOH.
People aged 50 and above may get second COVID-19 booster at vaccination centres with mRNA shots: MOH
People aged 50 to 59 who want to get their second COVID-19 booster shot may do so from Friday (Jun 10) by walking into any vaccination centre offering mRNA vaccines, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). This is an expansion from the 60-79 age group that the ministry previously offered second booster shots to. The expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination has since assessed that people aged 50 to 59 who wish to take their second booster may also do so about five months after their first booster shot. “This is in view of data indicating that the risk of severe COVID-19 increases in the age group of 50 to 59 as well,” said MOH. "This is also around the age when chronic diseases start to set in."
Ontario planning COVID-19 boosters for fall, most mask mandates ending Saturday
After years of daily COVID-19 data reporting from the province, Public Health Ontario (PHO) is moving to a weekly reporting system. In a news release issued late Friday afternoon, the province announced the change comes into effect as of June 11. Ontario will publish the latest COVID-19 data each Thursday, starting on June 16. "PHO will continue to monitor trends and determine if any additional changes to reporting are needed, including to frequency and content, in the coming weeks and months," the statement reads. Data will still be available through the province's Open Data Catalog, it notes, but it will not be on the provincial website.
Covid-19 vaccine in prison: a not-to-be-missed opportunity to promote access to vaccination in adolescents
Covid-19 vaccination campaigns for adolescents have been taking place in many countries for some months. The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunisation have called for vaccine prioritisation within countries to take into account the needs of those groups that, due to underlying social, ethnic, geographic, or biomedical factors, are at greater risk of getting infected or suffering most severe consequences from covid-19. Since the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is considerably higher in prisons and detention facilities than elsewhere, adolescents who are detained in juvenile institutions should be prioritised for vaccination. Detained adolescents often come from marginalised groups of society with a considerable burden of ill health rooted in poverty and discrimination, and with limited access to healthcare. The benefits of vaccinating adolescents in juvenile institutions include the direct benefits to their health and the indirect benefit of reducing onward transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within the prison community, including among prison staff, and in the community they belong. Furthermore, the implementation of the covid-19 vaccine in juvenile institutions is essential to upholding the principle of equity of care and to guarantee the right to health for those deprived of liberty, leaving no one behind
International travellers to the US no longer need negative Covid-19 test
The US is ending the requirement for international travellers arriving in the country to take a Covid test within a day before boarding their flights. The move is one of the last remaining federal coronavirus restrictions still in place in the US and will end on Sunday. The US will review the policy every 90 days.
U.S. to drop COVID testing for incoming international air travelers
The United States late Friday rescinded a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the country by air test negative for COVID-19, a move that follows intense lobbying by airlines and the travel industry. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky issued a four-page order lifting the mandate, effective at 12:01 a.m. ET (0400 GMT) Sunday, saying it is "not currently necessary."
US Ends Covid-19 Test Requirement to Enter Country
The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that all travelers test negative for coronavirus before flying to the US, amid pressure from airlines that viewed the measure as excessive and blamed it for depressing ticket purchases. The change will take effect just after midnight on June 12 and be reassessed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 90 days, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to detail the plan before it was formally announced. Airline shares rise on prospect of eased test requirement. Mandate could be revived if troubling virus variant emerges
Partisan Exits
India’s Sonia Gandhi hospitalised with COVID issues
The leader of India’s main opposition party, Sonia Gandhi, has been admitted to hospital in New Delhi with health issues related to COVID-19. Her party tweeted the announcement on Sunday but gave no other details. Gandhi tested positive for COVID-19 on June 2. Italian-born Gandhi, the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, is the longest-serving president of the Congress Party, which ruled India for decades after its founders led the country to independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Her parliamentarian son Rahul Gandhi also served as the Congress president. Founded in 1885, Congress is India’s oldest political party and dominated the country for decades after independence, led by generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
New Zealand plans in tatters after Kane Williamson is ruled out with Covid-19
New Zealand saw their hopes of levelling the ongoing series against England suffer a significant setback after Kane Williamson, captain and leading batsman, was ruled out of today’s second Test after contracting Covid-19. Williamson was present at training on Thursday and in an upbeat pre-match press conference extolled the virtues of Test cricket in response to a recent forecast from Greg Barclay, chair of the International Cricket Council, that the format will shrink in future.
French sports minister tests positive for COVID-19
France's recently appointed sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera has tested positive for COVID-19 and will self-isolate and work remotely for the time being, said the country's sports ministry. Oudea-Castera has had a difficult start to her job, having come under criticism over how France handled last month's Champions League soccer final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, which was marred by crowd disorder.
Risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in the USA: a cohort study in claims databases
An increased risk of myocarditis or pericarditis was observed after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and was highest in men aged 18–25 years after a second dose of the vaccine. However, the incidence was rare. These results do not indicate a statistically significant risk difference between mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2, but it should not be ruled out that a difference might exist. Our study results, along with the benefit–risk profile, continue to support vaccination using either of the two mRNA vaccines.
Covid-19: Unusable PPE worth £4bn will be burned, says spending watchdog
The parliamentary watchdog on public spending has accused the Department of Health and Social Care for England of wasting £4bn of taxpayers’ money on unusable personal protective equipment in the first year of the covid-19 pandemic and of planning to burn much of it to “generate power.” The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee made the claim in its report on the Department of Health and Social Care’s accounts for 2020-21, the first year of the pandemic. The report paints a damning picture of the fallout from the government’s rush to compete with the rest of the world to procure PPE, bypassing the usual due diligence in its race to secure supplies. Of £12bn spent on PPE, £4bn was spent on items that failed to meet NHS standards and have remained unused, the report said.
Scientific Viewpoint
Why your returning sense of smell after COVID may feel strange
The loss or change in one’s sense of smell and taste has proven to be a more accurate indicator of a COVID-19 infection than even a fever and cough. The exact percentage of people who experience a loss or change in their sense of smell after contracting COVID-19 is difficult to estimate as it relies on affected people self-reporting, but one analysis suggests it could be just more than 50 percent.
Valneva working on remediation plan for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
French drugmaker Valneva said on Friday it had proposed a remediation plan after receiving the European Commission's notice of intent to terminate the advance purchase agreement for its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate. "Some member states have confirmed their interest in having an inactivated, adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine solution in their portfolio," the company said in a statement.
U.S. FDA staff says Moderna COVID vaccine effective and safe for children
U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers on Friday said Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective for use in children aged 6 months to 17 years old as a committee of scientists will meet next week to vote on whether to recommend the regulator authorize the vaccine in children. The FDA's reviewers said in briefing documents published on Friday evening that the vaccine had generated a similar immune response in the children than that observed in adults in previous trials.
EU drug regulator: mRNA COVID vaccines do not cause absence of menstruation
Available data suggest that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not cause an absence of menstruation, the European Union's health regulator concluded on Friday. The assessment was prompted by reports of menstrual disorders after receiving one or two shots of either the Moderna (MRNA.O) or the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N)(22UAy.DE) vaccines. Menstrual disorders can occur due to a range of reasons, including underlying medical conditions as well as stress and tiredness. Health authorities have highlighted that cases have also been reported following COVID-19 infection.
South Africa's Death Claims Triple Last Year Due to Covid-19
The value of death claims almost tripled and suicides rose 18% last year as South Africa was battered by coronavirus infections, Discovery Life Ltd. said, citing data from its clients. In early 2021, South Africa grappled with the later stages of a beta variant-driven wave of Covid-19 infections. It was hit by the delta variant in mid-year and omicron toward the end of the year. “It was completely unprecedented,” Discovery Life’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Gareth Friedlander said in an interview on Thursday. “Add all causes of death together -- that’s your cancers, motor-vehicle accidents, heart attacks, strokes -- add them all together and it’s still 50% less than the Covid-death claims.”
Risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in the USA: a cohort study in claims databases
An increased risk of myocarditis or pericarditis was observed after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and was highest in men aged 18–25 years after a second dose of the vaccine. However, the incidence was rare. These results do not indicate a statistically significant risk difference between mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2, but it should not be ruled out that a difference might exist. Our study results, along with the benefit–risk profile, continue to support vaccination using either of the two mRNA vaccines.
'More work' to be done': Key takeaways from the WHO report on origins of the Covid-19 pandemic
Current data suggests a zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2 -- which means the virus originated in animals and jumped to humans. The most closely genetically related viruses were found to be beta coronaviruses identified in bats in China and Laos, according to SAGO. "However, so far neither the virus progenitors nor the natural/intermediate hosts or spill-over event to humans have been identified," the report said. The group pointed to published surveys of animals sold at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, where the virus was first identified. Between 2017 and 2019, the survey showed that several species known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, such as racoon dogs and red foxes, were present in the market. But those animals were not sampled in the studies presented to the team by invited Chinese scientists. SAGO said further information about studies into the testing of these animals, as well as tracing back to source farms and serologic investigations into people who farmed and sold or traded the animals have been requested.
COVID-19: How long-term smell loss can impact daily life
Recent studies show that 12-18 months after getting COVID-19, up to 46% of people are still experiencing a clinical reduction in their sense of smell. But what are the impacts of long-term smell loss on everyday life? Issues can include challenges with food safety, weight, relationships and mental health, according to a neuroscientist. Smell training can improve olfactory functions over time.
Preventing another Covid-19: Ugandan lab leads hunt for zoonotic diseases
On the shores of Lake Edward, near Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a renovated building houses a research laboratory capable of handling serious diseases such as anthrax. This building is the newest front in the hunt for zoonotic diseases and is at the forefront of a growing research movement that focuses on east Africa and other infection hotspots. The recent emergence of Covid-19 and monkeypox, both of which jumped from animals to humans, have been a reminder of the power that such diseases have to reshape our world, and the importance of early identification and genomic sequencing to help stop their spread.
Coronavirus Resurgence
Dozens of Covid cases linked to Beijing bar
All residents living in the area where the bar is located will be tested over the next three days. The number of infections in the city is low by international standards but high for China, which is the world's only major economy still maintaining a "zero Covid" policy. The outbreak was traced to a venue called the Heaven Supermarket Bar, in the well-known entertainment area of Sanlitun in Chaoyang district. Two buildings housing hundreds of people in Chaoyang were put under strict lockdown on Sunday after a positive case was reported, a residential committee worker told Reuters news agency.
North Korea reports 40060 more people with fever symptoms amid COVID outbreak
North Korea on Sunday reported 40,060 new people showing fever symptoms and one death amid the isolated nation's first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, state media KCNA said.
Mass COVID testing announced for Beijing district amid 'ferocious' outbreak
Beijing's most populous district Chaoyang announced three rounds of mass testing to quell a "ferocious" COVID-19 outbreak that emerged at a bar in a nightlife and shopping area last week, shortly after the city relaxed curbs imposed during an outbreak in April. City health officials said that so far there have been 166 confirmed cases linked to the outbreak that began at the Heaven Supermarket bar in the Sanlitun area on Thursday, 145 of them bar patrons.
Hong Kong's Quarantine Occupancy Rates Jump as Infections Rise
Hong Kong’s quarantine facilities are the fullest in more than three months after officials revived the Covid Zero tactic of mandatory centralized isolation to contain the spread of new sub-variants. More than 50 people -- close contacts of people who test positive for a sub-variant -- are in government-run facilities, with occupancy hitting the highest since February this month. The overall number is likely higher as the government doesn’t release figures for Penny’s Bay, the biggest isolation camp for confirmed Covid cases and close contacts.