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Pfizer Shot Ready for Regulators; Poland Deaths: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) --Pfizer Inc. said a final analysis of clinical-trial data showed its vaccine was 95% effective, paving the way for the company to apply for the first U.S. regulatory authorization for a coronavirus shot within days.

Tokyo reported a record number of new cases Wednesday, surpassing a previous daily high set in August as Japan faces an increased spread of the coronavirus ahead of winter.

The crisis continued to mount in Europe, with Poland reporting a record 603 deaths in the past 24 hours. British doctors warned that tough new measures must be in place when England’s lockdown ends. More U.S. states imposed restrictions to tamp down an unrelenting surge, and hospitalizations in New York increased by the most since the pandemic’s peak.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases reach 55.7 million; deaths 1.34 million
Reclusive billionaire thrives as pandemic shoppers crowd stores
Final hurdle in the Covid-19 vaccine race is bureaucracy
Biden’s virus advisers press for access, say delay is dangerous
Bloomberg is mapping coronavirus cases across the U.S.
Vaccine Tracker: Encouraging breakthroughs offer hope
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.

Average of daily U.S. cases has topped 150,000
Pfizer, BioNTech Plan Filing as Shot Proves 95% Effective (6:45 a.m. NY)
Pfizer Inc. said a final analysis of clinical-trial data showed its Covid-19 vaccine was 95% effective, paving the way for the company to apply for the first U.S. regulatory authorization for a coronavirus shot within days.

The U.S. drugmaker and partner BioNTech SE said their vaccine protected people of all ages and ethnicities, with no significant safety problems so far in a trial that includes almost 44,000 participants.

Poland Registers Record 603 Deaths (5:50 p.m. HK)
Poland registered 603 deaths from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, topping a previous high of 546 set on Nov. 14, the Health Ministry said. New infections remained little changed at 19,883, about 8,000 below a record set on Nov. 7.

Total deaths in the country of 38 million amounted to 49,132 in October, about 40% higher than in past years. While less than 7% of that total was attributed to Covid-19, the jump signals how deeply the pandemic is straining the health-care system.

Poland’s government shut all schools this month and has considered a “national quarantine” if current restrictions aren’t effective.

Milan Region Infections Slowing (4:55 p.m. HK)
Lombardy, the region around Milan, is seeing a “light but significant” improvement in the rate of new virus infections, Governor Attilio Fontana said, according to Ansa newswire.

Italy’s most-hit region could see some restrictions ease at the end of November, Fontana said. Milan was put in the so-called red zone, the highest-risk area, at the beginning of this month, but could be moved down to orange if the trend continues, Fontana said. Most shops would then be allowed to reopen.

Taiwan to Tighten Border Checks (3:04 p.m. HK)
The government will require all arrivals and transit passengers to present negative test results within three days before travel, according to a website statement from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. The measure will be in effect from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. It will be also be mandatory to wear face masks in public places from Dec. 1, with violators subject to fines.

Bulgaria Reports Daily Record in New Cases (2:32 p.m. HK)
Bulgaria reported a record 4,828 new daily cases. The total number of people hospitalized and patients in intensive-care units were also at their highest. The weekly number of deaths has doubled in the past two weeks.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who recovered from the virus last week, has repeatedly rejected the option of a nationwide lockdown.

Germany’s New Infections Climb to One-Week High. (2:20 p.m. HK)
Germany recorded 26,231 new cases in the past 24 hours, the most in a week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That compared with 14,580 infections the previous day and brought the total to 843,757. Daily numbers have fluctuated significantly in recent weeks.

There were 305 fatalities, for a total of 13,138.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that the situation remains “very serious,” though officials are better equipped now to fight the virus than at the start of the outbreak. She cited recent progress in developing vaccines as another positive sign.

Tokyo Cases Hit Record Amid Plans to Raise Virus Alert (2:15 p.m. HK)
Tokyo reported a record 493 new cases Wednesday, posing a risk to the economy if the spread continues. The capital and its neighboring prefectures account for about a third of the nation’s gross domestic product. Japanese equities dropped on the news.

Officials are making arrangements to raise the city’s Covid-19 alert to the highest level, the Nikkei newspaper reported. They are expected to make the decision on Thursday at a meeting of experts. Among the measures considered is requesting stores to close early, the paper reported, citing several unidentified people.

High-end Retail in Japan As Economy Seen Clawing Back Half of Pandemic Losses
People wear masks in the Ginza district of Tokyo last week. The city is expected to raise its alert to the highest level.
Self-Testing Kit for Virus Approved in U.S. (1:20 p.m. HK)
The U.S. gave the greenlight for the first Covid-19 diagnostic kit for self-testing at home, adding a tool to battle the pandemic as nationwide testing capabilities come under more strain. The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization to Lucira Health Inc.’s rapid-result All-In-One Test Kit.

While some Covid-19 tests allow people to provide samples from home, this is the first that can be fully self-administered and provide results at home in 30 minutes or less.

Thailand Extends State of Emergency (1:15 p.m. HK)
Thailand’s Covid-19 task force has agreed to extend state of emergency rules through Jan. 15 to cover the new year period, which is expected to bring increased travel. The rules allow the government to enforce mandatory quarantines and streamline disease-control plans without multiple approvals from various agencies.

India’s Virus Cases Approach 9 Million (12:20 p.m. HK)
Confirmed coronavirus cases in India ticked up to 8.91 million as of Wednesday, with 38,617 new infections, according to government data. Virus-related deaths reached 130,993. India has the second-largest number of cases in the world, behind the U.S., and the third-most deaths, after the U.S. and Brazil.

Six-Day Lockdown in South Australia (10:41 a.m. HK)
South Australia announced a six-day lockdown to help contain a growing cluster of Covid-19 infections in the state capital Adelaide. From midnight, schools, universities, cafes and restaurants will close, a stay-at-home order will be in force and mask wearing will be mandatory, authorities said.

Twenty-two people in Adelaide have been infected after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel was exposed to the virus. Other Australian states and territories have reimposed border restrictions, deeming South Australia a virus hotspot.

L.A. County to Tighten Curbs, Warns of Lockdown (10:30 a.m. HK)
California’s Los Angeles County will impose new restrictions to fight a rapid surge in cases, and warned that it may bring back stay-at-home orders if the outbreak worsens.

The home of 10 million residents will limit occupancy at non-essential businesses allowed to operate indoors — including retail stores, offices and personal-care services — at 25% capacity. Outdoor restaurants, wineries and breweries will be confined to 50% capacity, and must close from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The area’s daily infections have more than doubled since the start of November, with a five-day average of 2,884 cases and more than 1,100 hospitalizations. The county will impose a “safer at home” order for three weeks if average cases surpass 4,500 or hospitalizations top 2,000 per day, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

Indonesia Gears Up for Vaccine Rollout (10:22 a.m. HK)
The world’s fourth most-populous nation, which is battling Southeast Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreak, is gearing for a massive vaccination program that the government wants to start as soon as next month.

The government plans to kick off with an initial 3 million doses in December, prioritizing health workers, police, military and public servants, according to Budi Gunadi Sadikin, who leads the national economic recovery task force.

Novavax Inc. is set to provide 30 million doses of its vaccine candidate, augmenting Indonesia’s supply of 85 million from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and 57.6 million of the locally produced Merah Putih. Indonesia doesn’t have any supply deals with Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.

New Infections Jump in South Korea (9:40 a.m. HK)
South Korea reported 313 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, versus 230 a day earlier, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. That’s the highest number of newly confirmed cases in almost 12 weeks. Social distancing steps were raised in the greater Seoul area earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, China reported eight new coronavirus cases on Tuesday while CCTV on Wednesday reported one confirmed coronavirus case and one asymptomatic case in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. CCTV cited the city’s disease control authority.

Doctors Warn England Needs Tough Curbs (8:36 a.m. HK)
Boris Johnson’s government must have tough new measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus between the end of England’s lockdown and the potential roll-out of a vaccine, doctors said.

The British Medical Association warned on Wednesday that lifting lockdown on Dec. 2 without beefed-up regional restrictions risked a fresh surge in infections that would leave hospitals and family doctors “overwhelmed” and “unable to provide even the most critical of patient care.”

NIH Director Hopes Most Americans Get Vaccines by Summer (8:25 a.m. HK)
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins tells CNN he hopes to see most Americans immunized against Covid-19 by the summer of 2021 if vaccine candidates receive emergency use authorizations from the Food and Drug Administration.

“The goal, the hope would be that by April we really start to see a lot of people getting immunized and certainly by the summer we would hope to have most of America actually immune to this and we could start to think about getting back to life as normal,” he said

U.S. Senator Grassley Tests Positive for Virus (5:55 p.m. NY)
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, an 87-year-old in the line of succession to the presidency, announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Grassley reported the test results late in the day, after beginning a quarantine Tuesday morning following notification he had been exposed to the virus. On Monday, Grassley gave a speech on the Senate floor, without wearing a mask.

Illinois Governor Orders New Restrictions (5:11 p.m. NY)
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a series of new statewide restrictions that go into effect Nov. 20. Casinos and museums will close, gyms will cease indoor group classes, and bars and restaurants won’t offer indoor service. Retailers will reduce capacity to 25%. Pritzker also called for home gatherings to be limited to household members and for employees to work remotely when possible.

The state’s hospitalizations from the virus have reached a record, while daily cases on Tuesday rose to 12,601 from 11,632, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The seven-day Covid-19 case positivity rate of all tests is 12.5%.

Houston Warns Against Holiday Celebrations (5 p.m. NY)
A Texas Hospital’s ICU Department As Cases Near 10 Million In U.S.
Almost 200 new virus patients were admitted to Texas hospitals in the last 24 hours.
Houston canceled its annual Thanksgiving Day parade and the highest-ranking county official urged residents to call off large celebratory gatherings as hospitalizations soar.

Almost 200 new virus patients were admitted to Texas hospitals in the last 24 hours, pushing the census to 7,468, a 22% surge in the past week, state health department figures showed.

In the nine-county Houston metro area, virus hospitalizations jumped 44% in the past two weeks to 749, the highest since Aug. 26, according to the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council.

N.Y. Hospitalizations Highest Since June (4:15 p.m. NY)
Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York have topped 2,000, the highest since early June, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.

Of the nearly 160,000 tests conducted statewide on Monday, 3.18%, or 5,088 were positive, according to state data. Hospitalizations increased by 156 to 2,124, the largest one-day jump since the peak of the pandemic in April. There were 29 virus-related deaths on Monday.

Cases continued to increase in hot spot areas of the state including Queens, Brooklyn, Rockland and Westchester counties, Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, and counties that border Pennsylvania.

–With assistance from Seyoon Kim, Rachel Chang, Max Reyes, Emily Ashton, Kazunori Takada, Gearoid Reidy, Go Onomitsu, Jeff Sutherland, Edward Johnson, Kara Wetzel, Arys Aditya, Claire Jiao, Devidutta Tripathy, Suttinee Yuvejwattana, Randy Thanthong-Knight, Jinshan Hong, Emma Court, Andrew Blackman and Slav Okov.

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