Covid-19 travel update: From Hong Kong's free taxi rides to Greece easing curbs

Germany and Greece are gradually leaving pandemic restrictions behind. Singapore plans to substantially ease travel and social restrictions. Hong Kong taxis to give Covid-19 patients free rides. Check the latest travel updates amid coronavirus spread here

Hong Kong has plans to mass-test the whole city for Covid with Beijing’s help. Also, property developers have been asked to find 10,000 hotel rooms for isolating people who test positive, as the city’s outbreak challenges its zero-tolerance approach to the virus.

Singapore plans to substantially ease travel and social restrictions once the current wave of Covid infections peaks amid mounting evidence that the omicron variant is less threatening than its predecessors.

White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said at a briefing that the dynamics of the Covid-19 outbreak in the US are pointing in a “sharp downward direction.”

Europe is gradually leaving pandemic restrictions behind, with Germany and Greece poised to become the latest in the region to unwind regulations that have disrupted life for two years. Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands are planning similar steps.

Key Developments:

• Virus Tracker: Cases pass 417 million; deaths top 5.8 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 10.4 billion doses administered
• Mental-health scars remain with survivors long after Covid battles
• States break ranks on Covid rules despite scientific uncertainty
• ‘Game-changer’ Pfizer pill easier to get as omicron fades away
• BioNTech to send Covid vaccine production units to Africa

Japan PM Juggles Covid Pressures (11:40 a.m. HK)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is seeking to stave off the plummeting approval that brought down his two predecessors by treading a narrow path between competing pressures over virus policy.

Kishida will hold a news conference at 7 p.m. Thursday where he’s expected to announce an end to the ban on new entry by foreigners and an easing of quarantine rules. But the government will cap the number of daily entrants at 5,000 starting next month, compared with the current 3,500, according to reports in Kyodo News and other domestic media.

Hong Kong Plans to Mass-Test With Beijing’s Help (11:30 a.m. HK)

Hong Kong is planning a testing blitz of the entire city, deploying a tactic used to root out Covid-19 cases on the mainland as the financial hub struggles to get control over its most challenging outbreak of the pandemic.

Chinese medical experts will likely be brought in to assist in the effort, according to people familiar with the administration’s thinking, and government vans currently used for vaccinations will be converted to mete out tests, one of the people said.

Officials are still deciding whether to make the mass testing compulsory, the people said, with Sing Tao Daily reporting those who refuse may be subject to a HK$10,000 ($1,280) fine. The push will begin in early March and be conducted over weeks, other local media said.

A representative from the Hong Kong government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg News.

China Gives Details on Infectious-Disease Agency (10:30 a.m. HK)

China unveiled details for a newly formed agency with broader remit to monitor and handle infectious disease.

The organ, called the National Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and part of the country’s top health regulator the National Health Commission, it will be charged with building a surveillance network for infectious disease and coordinating with other government organs to proactively respond to outbreaks, among other responsibilities, according to a statement published by the National Health Commission on Wednesday night.

State media previously said Wang Hesheng, a deputy health minister who have been tasked to handle Covid response at the height of the initial Wuhan crisis, will take the helm at the new agency.

Australian Hiring Withstands Omicron (10:20 a.m. HK)

Australia’s hours worked dropped by 8.8% in January from a month earlier, the largest decline since April 2020, according the data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in Sydney.

“This was a period with high numbers of Covid cases associated with the Omicron variant, and considerable disruption across the labour market,” said Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS.

Australia’s unemployment rate unchanged at 4.2% in January with total employment increased by 12,900 from a month earlier, boosted by increase in part-time employment adding 30,000 persons. Full-time employment fell by 17,000 persons in the same period.

Singapore Reaffirms Growth Forecast Amid Recovery (8:57 a.m. HK)

Singapore reaffirmed its 2022 economic growth forecast, and raised its reading for last year, as its recovery from the pandemic stabilizes and it seeks to ease virus restrictions.

Gross domestic product is projected to expand 3% to 5% this year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Thursday, reiterating its November estimate. It also upgraded 2021 growth to 7.6%, from an earlier 7.2%.

Growth this year could get a boost as the city-state aims to ease travel and social distancing restrictions after the current wave of Covid-19 infections passes, potentially bolstering the still-struggling travel and retail sectors. That progress toward reopening contrasts with its regional hub rival Hong Kong, which has seen prospects downgraded amid its stringent virus measures.

Australia’s Victoria State to Ease Restrictions (8:20 a.m. HK)

Australia’s second-most-populous state, Victoria, will scrap Covid-19 density restrictions on venues and reduced hotel quarantine periods, Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Thursday, as the number of hospitalizations and new infections fell.

From 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, density limits in hospitality and entertainment venues will be lifted, while indoor dance floors can re-open. QR code check-ins will no longer be required for retail venues, schools and for a large number of employees in the state.

Hotel quarantine periods for international visitors who aren’t fully vaccinated will also be reduced from 14 days to seven days, ending more than two years of the rigorous isolation program for overseas travelers arriving in Victoria.

Covid’s Mental-Health Scars Linger, Study Shows (7:40 a.m. HK)

Early Covid-19 survivors were at higher risk of anxiety, depression and a raft of other mental health problems up to a year after their infections, according to a large U.S. study that widens the scope of the pandemic’s economic and societal impact. Even patients who were never sick enough to be hospitalized for Covid were still 68% more likely than their noninfected counterparts to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder, 69% more likely to have an anxiety disorder, and 77% more likely to have a depressive disorder.

The relative risk of developing the conditions was significantly higher still in patients hospitalized for Covid, and translates into dozens of additional mental health conditions for every 1,000 coronavirus cases.

NYC Mayor Tells CEOs to Bring Workers Back (4:30 p.m. NY)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told leaders of major companies in the city it was time to get their workers back in offices, emphasizing that empty buildings are holding back the city’s pandemic recovery.

“We can’t send mixed messages,” Adams said of different major banks and tech companies that continue to delay return dates. “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”

A winter surge in Covid-19 cases, due to the highly transmissible omicron variant, has hampered a slow return to offices. That progress had peaked at over 35% in December and then plummeted down to just over 10% in January, the mayor said, as the seven-day average of cases in the city reached their pandemic peak.

UK to Offer Pfizer Shot to Kids Age 5 to 11 (12:01 p.m. NY)

Children age 5 to 11 in England will be offered Covid-19 vaccinations to widen protection for the population as the government moves to scrap remaining pandemic restrictions.

The National Health Service will make shots available to children across that age group starting in April, so “parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of Covid-19,” U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement Wednesday.

Greece to Begin Easing Restrictions (11:45 a.m. NY)

Greece will begin easing some key coronavirus measures following a recommendation by the government’s advisory committee, Health Minister Athanasios Plevris said in a written statement as he currently has the virus.

From Feb, 19, the ban on standing at entertainment venues will be lifted while the permitted capacity at stadiums will be increased to 50% from 10% now. Other measures include a lowering of the number of staff required to work at home in both the private and public sectors to 20% from 50% of the workforce. School trips will also be allowed to resume.

US Retail in Broad-Based Rebound (9:10 a.m. NY)

U.S. retail sales rebounded by more than forecast, illustrating resilient demand. The value of overall purchases rose 3.8% in January after a downwardly revised 2.5% drop in the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed Wednesday. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.

While the omicron variant and related surge in Covid-19 infections likely damped services spending in the month, an improving labor market has helped consumers continue to spend despite decades-high inflation and a collapse in confidence.

Europe Rolls Back Curbs (8:51 a.m. NY)

Most of Germany’s Covid curbs will be rolled back in three stages by March 20, according to a proposal prepared by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office for a meeting with regional leaders on Wednesday.

Switzerland will scrap almost all pandemic-related restrictions starting from Thursday, including a work-from-home recommendation and the need for Covid-documentation to enter the country. Austria announced similar steps on Wednesday, and the Netherlands will lift controls on people and businesses beginning on Friday.

Hong Kong Seeks Hotel Rooms for Isolation (7:54 a.m. NY)

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, asked major property developers to find 10,000 hotel rooms for isolating people who test positive for Covid-19, as the city’s biggest outbreak yet challenges its zero-tolerance approach to the virus.

On a video call Wednesday, Lam urged members of the Real Estate Developers’ Association to make available hotels with at least 200 rooms to house preliminary positive patients, mostly with minor Covid symptoms, according to a person familiar with the talks, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

As part of its Covid Zero strategy, Hong Kong is still trying to separate all infected people and their close contacts from the wider community, despite the strain that has placed on hospitals and other resources. While confirmed cases climbed to 4,285 on Wednesday, just 17 were critical.

Omicron Sub-Variant Not More Severe in Study (6:28 a.m. NY)

A South African study showed that the risk of hospitalization from the omicron BA.2 sub-variant is similar to that from the original strain, a senior scientist said.

The study in the country, where the BA.2 strain is now dominant, may not extrapolate to others as most of the immunity South Africans have is from prior infections rather than vaccinations, Cheryl Cohen, head of the Centre for Respiratory Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said in an online press conference. Previous infections could give better protection, she added.

HK Taxis to Give Covid Patients Free Rides (6:26 a.m. NY)

Hong Kong’s transport and housing bureau together with the taxi industry has set up a fleet of cabs for free transport services between designated clinics and residences, according to a statement. The fleet will provide services from Feb. 18, with about 300 taxis participating.

Singapore Eyes Major Easing of Curbs (6:24 a.m. NY)

Singapore plans to substantially ease travel and social restrictions once the current wave of infections peaks, amid mounting evidence that the omicron variant is less threatening than its predecessors.

The government will restore and progressively raise quotas on so-called vaccinated travel lanes, the Ministry of Health said in a statement Wednesday. Visitors entering the city-state via these VTLs will not need to take a PCR test upon arrival and can take a supervised self-swab instead.