NYC Covid Rise Called ‘Alarming’; U.K. Hits Record: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said Covid-19 data show an “alarming trend” and predicted a further increase in the case curve. Illinois’s daily cases surged to the highest in more than a year, and space in intensive care units is shrinking.  

Citigroup Inc., Carlyle Group Inc., Millennium Management, Blackstone Inc. and Citadel, Ken Griffin’s hedge-fund firm, are allowing remote work through the holiday in response to the latest rise in infections.

Messenger RNA vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. are preferable for use in adults over Johnson & Johnson’s, U.S. public health advisers said.

Almost half the workers in the City of London didn’t go to the office on Monday, the fewest since September. U.K. cases rose to a record for the second consecutive day. 

• Virus Tracker: Cases pass 272.7 million; deaths top 5.3 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.59 billion shots given
• Here we go again: NYC shows canceled, cases rise, offices empty
• ‘I was wrong’: Omicron wrecks CEOs’ plans for U.S. office return
• Half of U.S. states have big racial vaccine gaps one year in
• What quarantine is like inside Hong Kong’s bleak, high-security camp

Illinois Cases, Hospitalizations Surge (5:02 p.m. NY)

Illinois’s daily Covid-19 cases have surged to the highest in more than a year with the delta variant circulating and omicron entering the mix. 

The number of confirmed and probable daily cases reached 11,858, the highest since Dec. 1, 2020, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported on Thursday. 

Covid-19 hospitalizations also are rising and have contributed to the overall shrinking of intensive care unit bed availability across the state. Of the 3,021 ICU beds in hospitals statewide, 9% are currently open, according to data on the department’s website.

NFL Tightens Covid Protocols (4:05 p.m. NY)

The NFL on Thursday updated its Covid-19 protocols and will require all clubs to implement measures including masking regardless of vaccination status, remote or outdoor meetings, and the elimination of in-person meals, according to a statement. 

U.S. Experts Back Moderna, Pfizer Over J&J (3:47 p.m. NY)

Messenger RNA vaccines made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. are preferable for use in adults over Johnson & Johnson’s, U.S. public health advisers said.

All 15 members of an outside panel of experts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to make the recommendation on J&J’s vaccine. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met Thursday after U.S. regulators announced revisions to the J&J fact sheet to warn of a rare clotting syndrome linked to the shot.

Stanford to Go Back Online (3:40 p.m. NY)

Classes at Stanford University will be held online for the first two weeks of the winter quarter, beginning on Jan. 3 for most students, as scheduled with in-person instruction on Jan. 18, the school said Thursday. Students must take a Covid-19 test before returning to campus.

“The current uncertainty around omicron poses a number of logistical challenges for the start of in-person classes,” the California school said in a statement. 

Harvard will require boosters when students, faculty and staff return from the holiday break.

Citadel, Blackstone Allow Work From Home (3:18 p.m. NY)

Citadel, Blackstone Inc. and Millennium Management are among asset managers telling staff this week that they may once again work remotely, at least for the next several weeks, in response to the latest spike in cases.

Ken Griffin’s Citadel, among the earliest hedge funds to require staff to return to the office during the pandemic, isn’t mandating that they stay away, a spokesman for the Chicago-based firm said Thursday in an email. The guidance also applies to Griffin’s market-making operation, Citadel Securities.

Blackstone, the world’s biggest alternative asset manager, told its U.S. employees they can work from home for the rest of the year, as did rival Carlyle Group Inc., according to spokespeople for both private equity firms. 

N.J. Hospitalizations Rise 41% in a Week (3 p.m. NY)

Rhode Island and New Jersey led the list of U.S. states with the biggest increases in hospital admissions for Covid-19 during the week through Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New Jersey showed a 41% rise, second only to Rhode Island with 55%, according to CDC data.

Next at the top of the list were the District of Columbia, Connecticut and Georgia. Montana, Alaska, North Dakota and Colorado showed the biggest decreases.

Fauci Says Omicron Will Be Dominant Strain (2:38 p.m. NY)

The omicron variant will assume a dominant role in the U.S. “very soon,” possibly within a few weeks, Anthony S. Fauci said Thursday.

“We’re looking over our shoulder at omicron,” Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser for Covid-19, said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation event. The latest variant of concern will start to dominate in the U.S. “I would imagine within a period of a few weeks as we go into January,” he said.

NYC Health Chief Cites ‘Alarming’ Case Trend (1:35 p.m. NY) 

New York City’s virus data show an “alarming trend,” with the rolling average of new cases tripling in the last month, Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said Thursday.

A further increase is expected in the days ahead, he told reporters. He acknowledged that there’s fatigue among New Yorkers about almost two years of pandemic-linked restrictions, but “unfortunately this virus is not yet tired of us.”

The city will send out 500,000 at-home rapid tests as part of an effort to stem the spread of the omicron variant, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Citi Says NYC Staff Can Work From Home (12:02 p.m. NY)

Citigroup Inc. said staffers in the New York City metropolitan area could work from home again through the holidays if they are able, citing the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in the region.

Citigroup already requires all staffers coming into those offices to be vaccinated. 

U.K. Hits Record Cases Again (11:19 a.m. NY)

The U.K. reported 88,376 more Covid-19 cases, a record for the pandemic, according to government data. It was second consecutive day of record-breaking infections, underlining the high transmissibility of the omicron variant. 

EU Backs Pfizer Pill for Adults (11:04 a.m. NY)

A European Union advisory committee said Pfizer Inc.’s experimental antiviral pill against Covid-19 can be used to treat adults, opening up another potential tool as the region prepares for the possibility of a wave of infections from the omicron variant.

The drug, Paxlovid, is still under review and hasn’t been formally authorized for sale. 

Premier League Cancels More Matches (10:53 a.m. NY)

The English Premier League has postponed two more matches amid a nationwide surge in omicron infections.

Manchester United’s Saturday game against Brighton & Hove Albion has been postponed as Man. United has an ongoing coronavirus outbreak within its team, the league said in a statement Thursday. Earlier today, the league said it had postponed tonight’s Leicester City FC game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Four more Real Madrid players and assistant coach Davide Ancelotti have tested positive for Covid-19, the Spanish soccer club said in a statement on its website, bringing the total number of detected cases to seven.

Regeneron Potency Wanes With Omicron (10:41 a.m. NY)

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its antibody treatment has “diminished potency” versus omicron, but that other experimental antibodies in its portfolio are active against the variant.

The antibody cocktail remains active against delta, still the dominant mutation in the U.S., and other variants of concern, the Tarrytown, New York-based drugmaker said Thursday in an emailed statement. 

City of London Workers Stay Home (10:36 a.m. NY)

The City of London has transformed from a raucous district with thousands of workers celebrating Christmas into a no-party zone in the space of a week.

Almost half of staff didn’t go to the office on Monday, the lowest since September, according to data compiled by Google, which tracks the location of its users. That came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to work from home where possible.

EU Leaders Urged to Require PCR Tests (9:53 a.m. NY)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is recommending that all travelers coming into the European Union be required to take PCR tests, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The EU has been trying to maintain its ability to coordinate travel rules even as member states hastily implement a variety of restrictions to combat the fast-spreading omicron variant. Many EU states already require PCR tests for certain categories of travelers.

Astra Antibody Drug (9:30 a.m. NY)

AstraZeneca’s antibody therapy, known as Evusheld, retained neutralizing activity against the omicron variant in lab testing. 

The long-acting drug combination, which has been authorized for use in the U.S. for the prevention of Covid-19 in high-risk people, produced the same neutralizing antibody levels found in someone who has been previously infected with the virus, the company said in a statement Thursday.

Denmark Approves Merck’s Covid Pill (8 a.m. NY)

Denmark has approved Merck’s pill for patients at risk of getting severe symptoms and illness from the virus.

Denmark’s Premier Mette Frederiksen has “no doubt” that new measures will be necessary ahead of Christmas to curb rising cases. The Nordic country registered 9,999 new cases on Thursday, and registered a total of 6,047 cases of the omicron variant on Wednesday, up from 4,535 the day before.

EU to Expedite Moderna Deliveries (7:50 a.m. NY)

The European Union said it reached a deal to expedite deliveries of the Moderna vaccine to countries like Germany that are experiencing temporary shortages.

Moderna agreed to accelerate delivery of 10 million doses to Germany in December, enough for 20 million boosters. The company will deliver 25 million extra doses to Germany in the first quarter of 2022.

Germany started rationing vaccines through the rest of the year as it seeks to keep a booster campaign going despite a sudden shortage of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Poland Has First Omicron Case (6:30 a.m. NY)

Poland confirmed first its omicron case. The person participated in the United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum last week that hosted 2,700 attendees from across the world.

While the Health Ministry said the person only had limited direct contact with other participants, there are concerns that the gathering may become a super-spreader event.

South Africa Avoids Tougher Curbs (6:48 p.m. HK)

South Africa will remain on virus alert level 1, the lowest, over the end-year festive season as it closely watches infections fueled by omicron. 

It’s welcome news for the tourism industry that took a hit after several nations banned travel to South Africa. It also boosts efforts to help the economy recover after a contraction that was worse than expected in the third quarter.

The health minister’s remarks come as scientific reports show a lesser need for hospitalization.

France Restricts Travel From U.K. (5:35 p.m. HK)

France will reduce the validity of Covid-19 tests to 24 hours from 48 hours for visitors from the U.K. as part of measures set to take effect midnight Friday. 

The rule will apply to all arrivals, including those who are fully vaccinated. People traveling to France from the U.K. will also have to self-isolate for seven days. This restriction can be lifted after 48 hours on proof of a negative test. 

Earlier, Sweden said it will ask travelers from other Nordic countries to show a vaccine certificate upon entering the country starting next Tuesday. From Dec. 21, the Swedish government will introduce requirements for proof of a vaccine upon entry from all European Economic Area countries. Existing Covid pass regulations in Sweden had excluded the Nordic region.

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