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The U.S. reported the lowest level of infection since the early days of the pandemic and welcomed back sports fans to stadiums. Renewed outbreaks in Asia led some countries to tighten restrictions.
In another sign that life is back to normal for Americans, almost 2 million people went through U.S. airport screenings on Friday ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the highest since the onset of the crisis.
Meanwhile, the virus continues to grip parts of Asia. Malaysia announced a two-week nationwide lockdown to subdue a surge, while China imposed a stay-at-home order on a neighborhood in the city of Guangzhou.
Key Developments:
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U.S. Cases Reach Another Low (8:20 a.m. NY)
The U.S. added slightly more than 12,000 new cases, the fewest since the early days of the pandemic last year, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. While reporting typically slows on weekends, the number was the lowest since March 23, 2020.
U.S. daily deaths fell to 362, the fewest on a Saturday in 11 months. Deaths from Covid-19 have declined almost continually since late February as a nationwide vaccination campaign took hold.
Kenya Extends Curfew (8:20 a.m. NY)
Kenya extended a night curfew and a ban on public gatherings by 60 days, Interior secretary Fred Matiang’i said in a legal notice. By Saturday, east Africa’s biggest economy had 170,485 Covid-19 cases and 3,141 fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health.
Lockdown in Guangzhou as Variant From India Spreads (6:40 a.m. NY)
China’s southern metropolis of Guangzhou ordered residents in one of its neighborhoods to stay home to contain an outbreak from becoming more widespread, with state television reporting infections in the city are of the variant first detected in India.
Five confirmed cases and 21 asymptomatic infections in the outbreak since May 21 are of the variant, China Central Television reported, citing the vice head of the city’s health commission.
Households in an area spanning five streets within the Liwan district have been barred from leaving their homes except for selected family members to buy daily necessities, the city government said in a notice on its official WeChat account on Saturday. There was no mention of the length of the lockdown, or the number of people that were affected.
Israel Restricts Travel With Argentina, Russia (5:35 a.m. NY)
Israel’s Health Ministry has restricted travel to and from Argentina and Russia, adding to a list that includes Ukraine, Ethiopia, Brazil, South Africa, India, Mexico and Turkey. Israeli citizens and residents will be barred from traveling to both countries beginning May 31, unless they obtain special permission. Anyone returning from there will be required to quarantine, even if they have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from the virus.
Singapore PM to Outline Reopening Plans Monday (5:32 a.m. NY)
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will outline his plan for tackling coronavirus and reopening the economy in a speech Monday afternoon. In a post on Facebook, Lee said the government aims to accelerate testing, contact tracing, and its vaccination program, and that it wants to offer every eligible person at least their first dose by the end of August. There were 19 new cases of locally-transmitted infections reported on Sunday, including six currently unlinked to known clusters. The city-state has responded to the recent outbreak with strict curbs such as moving most school-learning online.
‘Very Few’ U.K. Covid Hospital Patients Have Had Two Jabs (5:25 a.m. NY)
Only a handful of Covid patients being admitted to hospital have had two vaccinations, according to head of NHS Providers Chris Hopson. Based on his conversations with health bosses in hotspot area around the country, Hopson said in a twitter thread that those who did tended to have other serious health issues and that a significant majority being admitted were not vaccinated. The evidence sends a “very clear message about the overwhelming importance of getting both doses,” he said.
Russia Cases Rise After May Holiday (4:13 p.m. HK)
Russia’s new coronavirus infections rose to 9,694, the highest level since March. Cases have climbed in Moscow as well, remaining above 3,000 over the past four days. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on state television that the increase is mostly seasonal, though a jump in hospitalizations in the capital was in part due to people delaying medical attention until after a 10-day holiday at the start of May. He urged people to get vaccinated.
U.K. Mulls Compulsory Vaccines for Health Workers (4 p.m. HK)
The U.K. is considering making vaccinations mandatory for health workers, according to Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi. “It would be incumbent on any responsible government to have the debate, to do the thinking on how we go about protecting the most vulnerable by making sure those who look after them are vaccinated,” he said in a Sky News interview.
Czech Cases Decline Before Wider Easing (3:57 p.m. HK)
The Czech Republic reported 222 new cases in 24 hours through Saturday. It’s the second lowest number since mid-May and similar to infection levels at the end of August. Indoor dining, casinos, dancing clubs will reopen Monday in a wider easing of restrictions. The country had a total death toll of 30,104 from Covid-19 as of May 30, the worst-hit in Europe after Hungary adjusted for population size.
Vietnam Tightens Social Distancing Measures in Ho Chi Minh City (2:43 p.m. HK)
Ho Chi Minh City will increase social distancing measures in the entire city for 15 days, effective from May 31. They include banning gatherings of more than five in public places, urging residents to only leave their homes when absolutely necessary and restricting access to hospitals and medical care facilities except in emergencies. Earlier this month, the city closed schools, parks, gyms, bars and spas, as well as ordering restaurants to sell take-away food only.
Vietnam reported 52 more local cases Sunday morning, bringing total domestic cases since April 27 to 3,836, according to the health ministry. The country has had a total of 6,856 infections and 47 deaths. The health ministry is speeding up vaccinations for workers in the Bac Ninh and Bac Giang with 200,000 doses allocated to each province.
Malaysia Halts 5-Day Streak of Record Daily Infections (2:30 p.m. HK)
Malaysia reported 6,999 new Covid cases on Sunday, halting a five-day streak of record daily infections that topped 9,000 on Saturday. The let-up comes ahead of a two-week nationwide lockdown aimed at reining in an outbreak that has led to 2,179 deaths this year, according to data from the health ministry. Covid-linked deaths were fewer than 500 in 2020. The new restrictions will be in place June 1-14.
Philippines Reports More Than 100 Covid-19 Deaths (2:21 p.m. HK)
The Philippines reported 7,058 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 1.225 million. Deaths rose by 139 to 20,860, according to the health department. On Saturday, a health official said the cases in metro Manila and nearby provinces are on the decline, while those in central and southern Philippines are rising. President Rodrigo Duterte will soon announce movement restriction classifications for June.
Australia, New Zealand Work to Provide Vaccines to Pacific (2 p.m. HK)
Australia and New Zealand are putting some 7.5 million vaccine doses into the Pacific Islands region, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday in Queenstown, New Zealand. Morrison arrived in New Zealand on Sunday to meet with his counterpart, Jacinda Ardern. The idea of a travel bubble that goes beyond Australia and New Zealand to include Pacific islands like Vanautu is a “real possibility,” Morrison said, according to an Australian government transcript.
Taiwan Outbreak Slows Amid Soft Lockdown (2:11 p.m. HK)
Taiwan’s Covid-19 outbreak appears to be slowing amid a soft lockdown. The Centers for Disease Control in Taipei reported 266 new local cases on Sunday, the lowest daily total since May 18. The health authorities also appear to be getting on top of their testing backlog, revising up past daily tallies by a combined 89 new cases, the lowest number since they started updating past totals earlier this month.
India’s Infection Rate Continues to Decline (12:05 p.m. HK)
New infections in India fell to their lowest level in more than six weeks. The country added 165,553 cases, taking the confirmed nationwide total to 27.9 million as of May 30, government data showed.
Daily fatalities remained below 4,000 for a third straight day. The country reported 3,460 deaths, taking the total to 325,972.
U.S. Sports Stadiums Draw Large Crowds (11:20 a.m. HK)
With case numbers retreating, U.S. sports stadiums were drawing in larger crowds over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A game in Arlington, Texas, between Mexico and Iceland was attended by 44,892 fans, possibly the largest crowd at a soccer game since the pandemic, according to a tweet from Gabriel Gabor, a press officer for Major League Soccer.
Boston’s Fenway Park held its first game at full capacity since the pandemic hit, with the Red Sox beating the Miami Marlins 3 to 1 as local fans cheered. The stadium drew a crowd of 25,089, Major League Baseball reported.
Thai Factory Shuts as Case Rate Remains Near Its Highest (10:35 a.m. HK)
Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl, Thailand’s biggest meat producer, will close its factory in Saraburi province for five days to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak, after 245 employees were infected. Thailand reported 4,528 new infections, among the country’s highest daily caseloads during the pandemic, and 24 deaths as the latest outbreak showed few signs of slowing.
Of the daily total, 1,902 infections were from people in prisons, the government said Sunday. New daily cases in Thailand reached a record 9,635 -- most of them from prison clusters -- earlier this month.
Australia’s Victoria Adds Five New Cases (7:28 a.m. HK)
Australia’s Victoria state reported five new local cases over the past 24 hours, matching the number of new infections recorded the previous day. There was also one new infection from overseas. The number of active coronavirus cases stands at 49, the Victorian government said on Twitter.
The state entered a seven-day lockdown Friday to tackle a small but growing cluster of infections. A surge in demand for vaccinations in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, has led to long queues for residents seeking to be inoculated. The Victoria state government announced an A$250.7 million ($193 million) assistance package to help businesses affected by the lockdown.
Protests Erupt in London (6:33 a.m. NY)
Protesters rallied around London on Saturday, demonstrating against government action in the pandemic, from lockdowns to vaccines to vaccine passports. Some in a crowd of hundreds in Parliament Square said the pandemic was a hoax and carried signs saying, “My body, my choice,” the Press Association reported.
Several hundred people entered a large shopping center in West London, chanting “no more lockdowns” and “take your freedom back,” the Guardian reported.
Plans to end England’s pandemic restrictions on June 21 are threatened by the rapid spread of a virus variant first found India.
Spain Reopens Ports to Cruise Ships (5:49 p.m. NY)
Spain will reopen its ports to international cruise ships starting June 7, the government announced, citing an easing of the pandemic and increasing vaccinations. The country, which relies heavily on tourism, banned ships from docking at its ports June 2020.
The government order, released Saturday, stressed that the ships would have to follow Health Ministry rules for the safety of passengers and people living near the ports. Spain was the second most-popular destination in Europe for international cruise ships before the pandemic, the Transportation Ministry said on Twitter.
Brazilians Rally Against Bolsonaro (4:59 p.m. NY)
Protesters rallied across Brazil against President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic, demanding more vaccines and his impeachment. Demonstrations took place in at least 16 cities across the country, Reuters reported. The rallies in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, the capital, were peaceful, but police deployed tear gas and fired rubber bullets in the northeastern city of Recife, the agency reported.
With almost 460,000 fatalities, Brazil has the second highest death toll after the U.S. Bolsonaro has been increasingly criticized for the slow rollout of vaccines. Less than 16% of the population has received a first dose, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.
Paris Tests Crowd Safety With Packed Concert (1:40 p.m. NY)
Paris health officials put on a concert Saturday to determine whether it’s safe for masked and tested people to gather in crowds, and even dance, without social distancing, the Associated Press reported. The test was aimed at helping France prepare for future large events.
About 5,000 attended the free concert, with the band Indochine and DJ Etienne de Crecy. Only people aged 18-45 were allowed to attend to minimize risk, and they were required to take two tests before the concert and one after.
South Africa Calls for Vaccine Equity (12:20 p.m. NY)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated calls for vaccines to be distributed more equitably.
“It is truly absurd, almost obscene, that western governments must now incentivise some of their reluctant citizens to be vaccinated whilst those of us in the developing world are literally dying for vaccines,” Ramaphosa said in an address Saturday at the Northern Cape Province conference. “We are simply asking for a waiver of the vaccine patents, whilst the pandemic is raging.”
South Africa has the continent’s highest number of cases with more than 1.6 million infections, with warnings that it’s on the brink of entering a third wave.
Canada Extends Vaccine Expiry (12:05 p.m. NY)
To avoid wasting doses, Health Canada has extended the expiration date on some of its supply of AstraZeneca Plc vaccine from six months to seven months, according to a spokesperson for Ontario’s health ministry. That follows a decision by Ontario to allow some residents to get their second vaccination after 10 weeks to avoid wasting 50,000 doses set to expire on Monday.
On Friday, the country’s most populous province said most residents will receive their second AstraZeneca dose after 12 weeks while the interval for second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be as short as 28 days depending on supply.
N.Y. Positive Tests at 14-Month Low (11:53 a.m. NY)
New York state’s seven-day average for positive tests fell to 0.73%, the lowest since the pandemic began, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. That’s among the lowest rates in the U.S. He reported 870 new cases and 12 deaths, in line with previous days.
Memorial Weekend Travel Surges (11:18 a.m. NY)
Nearly 2 million people went through airport screenings on Friday ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the highest since Covid-19 crisis began more than a year ago.
Data from the Transportation Security Administration show that 1.96 million people were screened yesterday, six times more than the same day in 2020. It’s still down 24% from the 2019 level on the same day.
— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Sara Marley, Yueqi Yang, Aoife White, Danielle Bochove, Loni Prinsloo, Lucy Meakin, Lenka Ponikelska, Torrey Clark, Derek Wallbank, Alisa Odenheimer, Li Liu, Tony Czuczka, and David Herbling
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Covid-19 Pandemic: Live Updates and News for May 30, 2021 - Bloomberg
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