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Nepali billionaire says Nepal underestimated its second Covid wave

Nepali billionaire says Nepal underestimated its second Covid wave

Health workers in protective suits spray disinfectant on children on a deserted street in Kathmandu on May 3, 2020 as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown.

Prakash Mathema | AFP | Getty Images

Nepal has underestimated its second wave of Covid-19 infections and needs to step up its efforts to deal with the crisis, Nepalese billionaire Binod Chaudhary said last week. Nor should the country hold its elections until the situation stabilizes, he said.

“I have to admit, we as a nation have probably underestimated the intensity of the second wave,” he told CNBC’s Street Signs Asia on Friday.

The South Asian country’s Covid cases increased in April and continued to hit new record highs in May.

As of May 30, Nepal has reported 557,124 coronavirus infections and 7,272 deaths, according to local health authorities.

The situation is similar to neighboring India, which has the second highest number of cases in the world.

Chaudhary, chairman of Nepal-based CG Corp Global, said the first wave was bad enough and the country had been “crippled” for about three months despite recovering.

“It’s worse this time,” he said.

Health system

Nepal’s medical system is under immense pressure, with a lack of oxygen, ventilators and intensive care beds, he said.

World Bank data shows that Nepal had only 0.749 doctors per 1,000 people in 2018. That’s less than 0.857 in India and 2.812 in the UK in the same year.

Vaccination in Nepal has been hampered by the supply and, according to Our World in Data, only around 2.25% of the country’s 29 million people are fully vaccinated.

“We were counting on India,” said Chaudhary.

India is a vaccine manufacturing center and has donated shots to neighboring countries. Nepal also bought cans, but India stopped exports in February to give domestic demand priority.

“We’re looking for other sources of supply,” he said. “We must all increase our efforts quickly.”

This land needs to be safe and secure.

Binod Chaudhary

CG Corp Global

He added that CG Corp Global has mobilized its network to help bring oxygen and ventilators to Nepal. The company’s nonprofit donated approximately $ 1 million to help address the health emergency.

Chaudhary urged the world to “pay special attention to countries like Nepal” when it comes to vaccines.

“This country needs to be safe and protected,” he said. Bordering India and China, Nepal is “strategically convenient yet small,” he said, predicting the problem could be resolved “fairly quickly”.

Various nations have sent aid in the form of medical supplies and personal protective equipment. China has reportedly donated 800,000 doses of its Sinopharm-developed vaccine to Nepal.

General elections in November

Chaudhary, an opposition MP, said he would like all parties to bring the Covid-related challenges to the fore and try to get Nepal to safety.

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case,” he said. The Nepalese parliament was dissolved in December, but the move was reversed after the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional.

On May 22nd, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved parliament and called for an election in November. Reuters reported that the Nepalese Congress Party announced to the opposition that it would launch a political and legal battle against the dissolution.

Most opposition parties find the timing unacceptable, Chaudhary said. It should take place when the country’s health and economic situation is back on track, he said.

That could happen in less than six months, but only with vaccines and medical equipment secured for Nepal, he predicted.

As cases continue to grow, Chaudhary said the call for an election was ironic and unfortunate.

“While the house is on fire, we are still fighting over who will sleep in the master bedroom.”

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Area Station Could Host Wave of TV Exhibits and Movies

Space Station May Host Wave of TV Shows and Films

“We can finally open our doors to private individuals and enable others to experience the magic of living and working in space,” said Dana Weigel, assistant manager of the space station at NASA. “The dream really is to give everyone access to space, and this is a pretty exciting place to start.”

The producers of Discovery’s “Who Wants to Be an Astronaut?” Expect the winner to be on board the second Axiom mission to the space station, which could launch six or seven months after the first. Currently, an agreement between the Discovery team and Axiom is pending, and NASA has not yet selected Axiom to conduct the second private space tourism flight.

The NASA-led portion of the station could host two private astronaut missions a year, space agency officials said, and other companies are interested in participating as well.

“We see great interest in private astronaut missions, also outside of Axiom,” said Ms. Weigel. “At this point, the demand exceeds what we actually think is possible.”

As recently as Tuesday, Axiom announced two people would be in the seats for this second mission: Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who now works for Axiom, will be the commander, and John Shoffner, a paying passenger, will be Fortune made as the head of a company that makes fiber optic cables will serve as the pilot for the mission.

Dr. Whitson, who holds the record for the most cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut – 665 days – joined Axiom as a consultant a year ago in hopes of getting back into space and expanding her record. “Yes, definitely,” she said. “That was the carrot.”

Mr Peterson said the plans for the Discovery show came from talks with Axiom in early 2020 and would be “premium documentary” rather than “survivor” or other ruthless reality television competitions.

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Maharashtra making ready for third wave, Aaditya Thackeray says

Maharashtra preparing for third wave, Aaditya Thackeray says

After being the richest state at the epicenter of a devastating second wave, India is already taking steps to prepare for a possible third wave, according to its tourism and environment minister.

The western state of Maharashtra, home of the Indian financial capital Mumbai, has so far reported more than 5.4 million cases, including over 82,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Health. It is the most severely affected state in the country to date.

Since last month, ministers of state, including Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray, have been discussing various ways to respond to an impending third wave that could potentially occur sometime between September and October, Aaditya Thackeray told CNBC’s Street Signs Asia on Tuesday.

“We are preparing for three important things for the third wave,” said Thackeray, who is also the prime minister’s son.

First, the state medical response, currently led by a task force composed of 11 doctors who have put together standard operating procedures for Maharashtra’s administrative and medical responses. Thackeray said the state was examining which demographic characteristics could be affected in a third wave – especially children and young people, who were largely spared from the two previous waves.

Passengers from Uttar Pradesh queue for the Covid test upon their arrival at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on May 16, 2021 in Mumbai, India.

Satish Bate | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

The state is making greater efforts to ensure adequate hospital beds, oxygen supply and intensive care units.

Second, it also opts for social guidelines like the need to wear multiple masks, Thackeray said.

“The third, of course, is business response. Because industry has to go, work has to go on. So we’re trying to prepare for this third wave,” he added.

India’s Covid situation

India’s daily reported cases have declined since hitting a record high of over 414,000 new infections in a 24-hour period on May 7. Some have suggested that the second wave has already peaked.

On Monday, new cases fell below 300,000 for the first time since April 21. However, the death rate remained above 4,000 for the last three consecutive days, including Tuesday, when at least 4,329 other deaths were reported. Experts have suggested India’s deaths are heavily under counted.

Medical experts have said India’s best way to counter future waves is to vaccinate as many people as possible. The country has already given more than 184 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, but much of that is just a first dose. Currently, people over the age of 18 can be vaccinated.

The rate of vaccination has reportedly slowed as states struggle to secure supplies. Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a statement on Saturday that the country will have 516 million doses by July, including those already administered, and that that number will rise to 2.16 billion doses between August and December.

Thackeray said Maharashtra is trying to get as many vaccines as possible for the state. Municipal companies in large cities like Mumbai are also self-procuring. He explained that logistics pose a challenge to the state’s plans to vaccinate people in rural or densely populated areas.

“In terms of planning and setting vaccination rules, almost everything is there. We’re just waiting for supplies,” he said. Maharashtra accounts for just over 10% of all vaccine doses given in India to date, according to the Ministry of Health.

“The medical belief in the state is that if we want to prevent a third wave – which we believe is possible from September to October – we need to vaccinate as many people as possible to protect them,” Thackeray added.

The state has also extended its lockdown to the end of the month when non-essential activities are restricted. Thackeray said the reopening will depend entirely on how many Covid-19 cases are reported in Maharashtra and that it would still be slow and staggered.

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Brazil fears third Covid wave as Bolsonaro faces parliamentary inquiry

Brazil fears third Covid wave as Bolsonaro faces parliamentary inquiry

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is undergoing a congressional investigation into the mismanagement of the pandemic.

Andressa Anholete | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Health experts fear the Brazilian Covid-19 disaster could get worse in the coming months, while a parliamentary investigation into the government’s response to the pandemic is likely to increase political pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro.

South America’s largest country, previously known for its leadership skills in health crises, has grown into an international pariah amid the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil has had the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the world outside the US, has lagged behind on vaccinations and still lacks an effective and coordinated public health response to the outbreak.

An official investigation, approved by the Brazilian Supreme Court, opened late last month to look into the government’s handling of the pandemic, which killed more than 430,000 people. The investigation could pave the way for Bolsonaro’s impeachment, though analysts say political opponents of the right-wing leader may prefer to contest the president in the October 2022 election.

Bolsonaro has reportedly said he was “not concerned” about the investigation. A Brazilian government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly spoken out against public health measures, which have become a political battleground in Brazil, and continues to oppose any lockdown measures to contain the spread of the virus.

“The current unrestrained epidemic will not be overcome without a dramatic change in direction,” said Dr. Antonio Flores, Infectious Disease Specialist and Covid Medical Advisor at the Medecins Sans Frontieres aid group in Brazil.

He said that if life goes on normally, “with such a high daily incidence, all you can expect is a new wave of cases, an additional thousands of deaths and more pressure on the already stretched health system.”

A gravedigger walks among the graves of COVID-19 victims at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida cemetery in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on April 29, 2021.

MICHAEL DANTAS | AFP | Getty Images

His comments echo warnings from other health experts that Brazil could soon experience a third wave of Covid infections in the coming weeks. It is feared that the country’s weak vaccination efforts will not be enough to prevent a new surge in the winter months of June through September, when indoor gatherings and activities are particularly risky.

Flores told CNBC that all available public health measures should be stepped up “as soon as possible” and that the country’s vaccination campaign needs to be accelerated. He added the need to put in place an effective testing and traceability system, as well as coherent guidelines on public health restrictions.

“A crucial element in next year’s elections”

By May 12, according to statistics from Our World in Data, around 15% of Brazil’s 211 million inhabitants had received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. Chile has now vaccinated nearly 46% of its population with at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, reflecting one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Brazil’s lower vaccination rate means millions of people across the country and beyond its borders are at risk from more than 90 variants of the coronavirus currently circulating in the country – in addition to any new mutations that may emerge.

Brazil’s Covid vaccination campaign is in stark contrast to its response to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009, when 92 million people were vaccinated against the virus in just three months. The main difference this time around, analysts say, is Bolsonaro’s refusal to take a science-led approach to addressing the health crisis.

This is a very dangerous government, but since it was democratically elected, very little can be done at the moment to push back.

Ilona Szabo

President of the Igarape Institute

The Pan American Health Organization announced on Wednesday that nearly 40% of all global Covid-related deaths reported in the past week have occurred in the Americas. Almost 80% of the intensive care units in the region are currently staffed with patients. PAHO director Carissa Etienne warned it was clear the broadcast “is far from being controlled,” even as the US and Brazil report reductions in some cases, Reuters reported.

Brazil recorded more than 74,000 cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, after peaking at over 100,000 daily infections in April. In terms of infection numbers, it remains the third worst Covid-affected country in the world after the US and India.

“I think while the situation in India has gotten significantly worse lately, the numbers in Brazil have risen to a very, very high level. The country has actually been in a collapse for months,” said Oliver Stuenkel, Associate Professor of International relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, said CNBC by phone.

A man will be vaccinated against Covid-19 by a health worker in a remote area of ​​Moju, Para state, Brazil on April 16, 2021.

JOAO PAULO GUIMARAES | AFP | Getty Images

“What is really so fascinating is that (former US President Donald) Trump and to some extent (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi are paying a political price. Bolsonaro has been able to and has not retained fairly high political support by a combination of factors done. ” however, had to pay for it because its strategy of avoiding responsibility has so far been remarkably successful, “he added.

Analysts said the government’s investigation into treatment for the pandemic will typically take around three months, but the process can take much longer.

Stuenkel said he expected the investigation to take about six months since “the real goal is to hammer home the news on the evening news that Bolsonaro was to blame”.

“Essentially, I think the investigation will be vital because if the investigation cannot change public opinion at this point, after 400,000 people have died and basically the health system has finally collapsed, basically nothing can .. . For me the crucial element is next year’s election, “he added.

What happens next?

Earlier this week, former Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who was fired over a year ago after resisting Bolsonaro’s push to use the malaria drug chloroquine as a covid treatment, testified ahead of a parliamentary inquiry.

Mandetta said Bolsonaro was fully aware that the treatment had no scientific basis. Former US President Donald Trump had also pushed for the use of the related drug hydroxychloroquine amid the pandemic, despite a lack of scientific evidence.

“Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous government, but since it was democratically elected, very little can be done right now to push back,” said Ilona Szabo, president of the Igarape Institute, a think tank based in Rio de Janeiro.

Szabo said that while she did not believe the investigation would have “immediate” political implications, “it is important that what happens today has ramifications for the future.”

“It is proven that they are responsible and that most of the deaths were preventable,” said Szabo.

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EU prepared to speak wave of IP rights after US backs transfer

EU ready to talk wave of IP rights after US backs move

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON – The European Union has said it is ready to discuss surrendering intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines after the US announced it would support the initiative.

The proposed patent waiver, which aims to boost global production of Covid-19 vaccines, has proven controversial for European lawmakers, with some supporting the move while others strongly oppose it. Proponents of the idea say it is crucial to increase vaccination rates in low-income countries. So far, the European Commission, the EU executive, has expressed doubts about the renunciation of intellectual property rights.

On Thursday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said her team was open to “discuss any proposals that would address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic way”.

“Therefore, we are ready to discuss how the US proposal to remove intellectual property protection for Covid-19 vaccines could help achieve this goal,” she said during a speech.

It comes after the White House announced on Wednesday that it was in favor of the abolition of intellectual property rights, citing the “exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The move caused stocks of large pharmaceutical companies that developed Covid-19 shots to decline.

However, the announcement received praise from the World Health Organization. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the US decision was a “monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19”.

The GAVI Vaccine Alliance also welcomed President Joe Biden’s stance, recognizing “the importance of the government’s commitment to increasing raw material production.”

Milestone proposal

The landmark proposal to renounce intellectual property rights was jointly presented to the World Trade Organization by India and South Africa in October. However, a handful of countries have blocked the proposal. This includes the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Norway, Canada, Australia, Brazil, the EU and – so far – the US.

“In the short term, however, we are calling on all vaccine-producing countries to allow exports and to avoid measures that disrupt the supply chain,” said von der Leyen on Thursday.

The EU has hailed itself as a top exporter of Covid-19 vaccines and has criticized countries like the UK for failing to take similar measures.

A medical worker prepares a syringe of AstraZeneca vaccine in a local sports hall that has been converted into a vaccination center in Ventspils, Latvia.

GINTS IVUSKANS | AFP | Getty Images

“While others keep their vaccine production to themselves, Europe is the world’s largest exporter of vaccines. To date, more than 200 million vaccine doses made in Europe have been shipped to the rest of the world,” said von der Leyen.

The EU, a group of 27 nations, got off to a slow start with vaccine adoption. Vaccinations have steadily increased, however, and the block expects 70% of adults to be vaccinated by July.

“The US has a similar goal. This shows how well our vaccination campaigns have aligned,” added von der Leyen.

The latest data shows Israel, the UK, the US and Chile lead the way in the number of Covid-19 shots given to date. However, the figures also show that vaccination rates in the EU are well above the world average, which was not the case a few weeks ago.

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Charts present the severity of the second wave

Charts show the severity of the second wave

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past graffiti amid the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a street in Mumbai, India, on March 30, 2021.

Francis Mascarenhas | Reuters

India’s second wave of Covid-19 infections shows no signs of slowing as the country’s overstretched health system faces supply shortages of hospital beds, oxygen, drugs and vaccines.

The World Health Organization said last week that every third new coronavirus case worldwide is reported in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been criticized for allowing large crowds to gather for religious festivals and election campaigns in different parts of the country. Commentators said the mass gatherings have likely turned into super-spreader events.

The second wave cases increased in February when India reported an average of 10,000 infections per day. However, in April the situation worsened and ended the month repeatedly setting new global records for daily cases. India started May reporting more than 400,000 new cases.

Nearly 7 million cases were reported during the month, a large fraction of the more than 19 million cases India has seen throughout the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Scientists say the increase in cases is partly due to variants of the coronavirus currently circulating in India.

“There are at least two major dominant variants, one is a British variant and one is an Indian variant,” Manoj Murhekar, director of the National Institute for Epidemiology, Chennai, told CNBC on Friday.

The Indian government reportedly said last month that 80% of the cases in Punjab are due to the highly contagious British variant known as B.1.1.7.

The Indian variant is now known as B.1.617 and has several sublines with slightly different characteristic mutations. The WHO classified it as a variant of interest in their epidemiological update on the pandemic last week.

Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, is the hardest hit state and the epicenter for the second wave.

India’s richest state was put on hold in mid-April to break the chain of transmission. The Maharashtra government reportedly extended the restrictions until May 15.

Murhekar told CNBC that very little is currently known about what proportion of infected cases are due to a variant. He said India needs to step up its surveillance for variants so that it has meaningful data from every region and state that has variants circulating in each region.

Since the start of its mass vaccination campaign in January, India has administered more than 154 million doses of vaccine as of April 30, according to the government.

This means that just over 10% of the population received at least one of the two required shots. However, the percentage of people who completed their vaccination is only about 2% of the total population, and it was around 27.9 million in April.

From May, India will open vaccinations for people over the age of 18.

Murhekar said the kind of herd immunity India needs to reduce transmission can only be achieved through vaccination.

“It will basically take many days and many months before we have a critical mass vaccinated against Covid,” he added.

However, the country is facing vaccine shortages and several states have reportedly run out of supplies.

The supply crisis is expected to last through July, according to the CEO of Serum Institute, a leading Indian vaccine maker that makes AstraZeneca’s shot. Adar Poonawalla recently told the Financial Times that his company would increase vaccine production capacity from about 60 million to 70 million doses per month to 100 million.

The other vaccine that is being given is Covaxin from Bharat Biotech.

New Delhi recently approved Sputnik V, developed in Russia, and approved overseas-made vaccines that have received emergency clearances from the U.S., UK, European Union, Japan and World Health Organization-listed agencies.

– CNBC’s Nate Rattner contributed to this report.

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Coronavirus second wave exhibits no indicators of slowing

Coronavirus second wave shows no signs of slowing

The coronavirus crisis in India is worsening and hospitals are buckling under the increasing pressure of the second wave of infections.

The South Asian country reported 259,170 new cases and 1,761 deaths within 24 hours, according to the government on Tuesday. It is the sixth day in a row that India’s daily caseload exceeded 200,000, while the daily death toll – still comparatively low – continues to rise.

Cases have risen since February and so far India has reported more than 3.1 million new cases and over 18,000 deaths this month. The total number of cumulative cases has exceeded 15 million, making India the second worst infected country after the US.

“With the huge number of cases and the increase, we see that hospitals are really overwhelmed – and that is a challenge we must face,” said K VijayRaghavan, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, told CNBC’s Street Signs Asia. ” on Tuesday.

Hospitals reject patients because of a lack of beds – even those who are seriously ill. In some cases, unrelated patients are being forced to share beds, according to media reports. Oxygen supplies are also poor in health facilities and the government is reportedly diverting oxygen destined for industrial use for medical purposes.

VijayRaghavan said the government is trying to cope with the burden on the medical system by moving healthcare workers from one location to another and setting up emergency hospitals.

Covid facility is being prepared on April 19, 2021 at the Commonwealth Games Village Sports Complex in New Delhi, India.

Mohd Zakir | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

States are partially blocked

So far, India has resisted a second nationwide lockdown – last year’s nationwide lockdown from late March to May has disproportionately damaged the informal sector and kept India from growing.

However, states are tightening social restrictions as hard-hit places are partially closed.

The epicenter of the second wave is India’s richest state, Maharashtra, which is home to the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. The western state alone has reported over a million new cases since the beginning of April.

Maharashtra is already in a state of partial lockdown until May 1st. However, further restrictions are reportedly expected as the daily number of cases shows little sign of slowing down.

The state capital Delhi as well as India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, are also among a handful of regions and states where the number of cases of Covid-19 is increasing.

Delhi initiated a six-day partial lockdown on Monday, during which only essential services are allowed to operate.

Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a virtual press conference that it would help the local government organize more hospital beds, although he is generally against a lockdown if people in Delhi stay at home and work with the federal government to increase supplies of oxygen and medicines. He begged people to watch the lockdown and not go out unnecessarily.

Other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have also tightened restrictions, such as the introduction of curfews at night.

Extension of vaccines to other groups

The Serum Institute produces AstraZeneca’s shot, known locally as Covishield. The world’s largest vaccine maker previously said its manufacturing capacity was “very stressed” and it needed about $ 400 million to increase supply.

VijayRaghavan told CNBC that India is “fully aware that we are part of global supply chains and that there is a moral, economic and pragmatic responsibility to do what we need for our people and what we need to balance our responsibilities elsewhere bring. And we’ll meet. ” both.”

India recently approved a third emergency vaccine – Sputnik V, which is being developed in Russia. It also approved overseas-made vaccines that received emergency approval from the agencies listed in the US, UK, European Union, Japan, and World Health Organization-listed agencies.

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Third Covid wave hits Europe, France, Germany eye extra lockdowns

Third Covid wave hits Europe, France, Germany eye more lockdowns

Members of the medical staff are reviewing a patient’s information in the pulmonology department of the AP-HP Cochin hospital in Paris on March 18, 2021 as the number of people hospitalized with the Covid-19 increases in the French capital.

CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT | AFP | Getty Images

More than a year after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, Europe continues to grapple with the virus amid a third wave of infections and an increase in lockdown measures.

At the same time, the introduction of vaccinations in the block remains sluggish, which is affected by manufacturing and delivery problems, so that the heads of state and government of the European Union meet this week to again discuss the introduction of possible export bans for vaccines.

A handful of countries are reintroducing lockdowns to contain a third wave of infections. France, Poland and Ukraine are implementing stricter measures over the weekend that should last at least several weeks.

A month-long partial lockdown was reintroduced on Saturday in Paris as well as 15 other regions of France to deal with rising case numbers, largely due to new, more contagious variants of Covid.

However, the last partial lockdown is less strict than the previous ones, leading some to question the point of such a move, while others have said the new measures are confusing. There is still a curfew and interregional travel is still effectively prohibited. Around 21 million people in France are affected by the new regulations.

The country reported over 30,000 new cases a day on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to over 4.2 million. So far, over 92,000 people have died as a result of the virus in France.

In the meantime, Europe’s largest economy, Germany, could extend a national lockdown until April as the country also battles a third wave of Covid-19 cases. Several states have reportedly called for the current restrictions to be extended as the Covid incidence rate has exceeded 100 cases per 100,000 people. A level previously announced by the government would prompt them to implement an “emergency brake” – a stalling of the lifting of lockdown measures – to prevent further spread.

The move would be a blow to Germany, which had started to simplify lockdown measures, allowing schools to reopen in February and some non-essential businesses to resume customers earlier this month.

Vaccination fights

As more and more cases of coronaviruses occur in large parts of the EU, the introduction of the vaccine remains sluggish and controversial.

EU leaders will meet virtually on Thursday to discuss whether to block vaccine exports while supplies in the region remain tight and the vaccination program lags behind that in other developed nations.

Criticized for ordering coronavirus vaccines in large quantities later than the UK and US, the EU has subsequently faced supply issues despite two of the vaccines it has approved – the recordings from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca-University of Oxford – were used. made in the EU.

There are reports that the EU could block exports of AstraZeneca vaccine at a Dutch plant – a move that could also jeopardize the previously successful launch of vaccines in the UK. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to reach out to his European counterparts to try to break the impasse on vaccines.

The launch of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine has been fraught with several hurdles in the past few weeks. A handful of European countries have discontinued the use of the shot due to concerns about its possible association with reports of blood clots.

The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency carried out safety reviews of the vaccine last Thursday, the latter determining it is safe, effective, and the benefits outweigh the risks.

The conclusion resulted in a reversal of the vaccine suspension in most (but not all) European countries that had discontinued its use, but the move could damage public confidence in the vaccine, which was already shaky due to misguided questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness shot in the over 65s.

Real-world data has since proven the vaccine to be highly effective in reducing severe Covid cases, hospital stays and adult deaths. The vaccine received another boost on Monday when the results of a large U.S. study were published that found the AstraZeneca vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic illness and 100% effective against serious illness and hospitalization.

However, a YouGov poll published on Monday found that the decision of some European nations to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine “severely damaged the public perception of the safety of the vaccine in Europe”.

The survey, which was conducted between March 15 and 18 in seven European countries (UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark and Sweden) found that the vaccine was more likely than not in France, Germany, Spain and the US Italy is classified as unsafe as safe. It should be noted that the survey was conducted the week that the vaccine’s safety data was questioned, and especially before the EMA published its safety decision on the shot.

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Europe’s third coronavirus wave has arrived

Europe's third coronavirus wave has arrived

Traffic runs along the Champs-Elysee avenue near the Arc de Triomph in Paris, France on Friday March 19, 2021. French President Emmanuel Macron lockdowns several regions, including the Paris area, and slows the country’s economic recovery as it battles to contain a third wave of the coronavirus epidemic. Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON – Warnings of an exponential increase in infections in Germany and another month-long lockdown in Paris have underscored the dire situation across Europe as the coronavirus rises again.

The variant first discovered in Great Britain is seen as the reason for the new tip. The strain is reported to be much more virulent than the original.

The French capital and the northern parts of the country will be locked again on Friday, although schools and important shops remain open.

The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in the country rose to over 25,000 this week for the first time since November.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a loosening of the locks in March. At that point, the number of infections per 100,000 people over seven days was 65.

But that number is now at 96 and there are real fears that infections at Easter might mirror what they were at Christmas.

“The increasing number of cases could mean that we will not be able to take any further opening steps in the coming weeks,” said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn at a press conference on Friday, according to Reuters.

“On the contrary, we may even have to go backwards.”

In Poland, according to Reuters, there was also a huge increase in infections with around 52% of new cases related to the variant from Great Britain.

The total number of cases for the country that was advanced was 2 million as of Friday, 25,998 in the last 24 hours.

– CNBC’s Bryn Bache contributed to this article.

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Merkel’s occasion fares badly in state elections, third Covid wave hits

Merkel's party fares badly in state elections, third Covid wave hits

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on September 30, 2020 in Berlin.

Michele Tantussi | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party collapsed after defeating two important state elections on Sunday, which put the country’s leadership in even more distress as Germany appears to be facing a “third wave” of coronavirus infections.

The ruling party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany recorded the worst performance since the Second World War in the state elections this weekend and was behind the center-left Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD) in the vote in Baden-Württemberg Rhineland-Palatinate.

The results largely confirmed the political status quo in both federal states, with the incumbent Prime Ministers – Winfried Kretschmann from the Greens in Baden-Württemberg and Malu Dreyer from the SPD in Rhineland-Palatinate – winning the elections. The CDU took second place in both regional votes, followed by the right-wing alternative for Germany, although their support also declined.

Results of the state elections in Germany

CNBC

Paul Ziemiak, Secretary General of the CDU, admitted that the results for the center-right party were disappointing and said: “To be very clear, this is not a good election night for the CDU. We would have different and better results in the State wanted. ” Elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. “

The party’s poor performance can be seen in the preparations for the national elections in September – with four more state elections beforehand – and for the period after Merkel. The Chancellor announced in 2018 that she would not run for a fifth term, creating uncertainty about who would succeed her to take over Europe’s largest economy.

Arne Jungjohann, political scientist and member of the Green Academy of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, told CNBC that the results signaled that the CDU could get into trouble with the national vote in September.

“The CDU party under Angela Merkel built the image of being indispensable, of being the natural governing party, and this image has faded since last night (Sunday evening),” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe”. “We saw in both states … that the parties can actually form governments without the CDU, and that is the signal from last night.”

Push election year

For some parties in Germany, however, the latest results are encouraging, especially for the environmentalists Greens, who also achieved good results in the local elections in Hesse this weekend.

This could herald a change in the political landscape later this year as the Greens are likely to become a coalition partner for the CDU in the next government. Jungjohann told CNBC that the Greens had established themselves in Germany as a “hinge party” that could rule both center-left and center-right. They are already part of coalitions in 11 out of 16 federal states. “They have become a federal political force despite being in opposition at the national level,” he noted.

Robert Habeck, green The party’s co-chairman said the results were “a great start to the super election year for us, and hopefully we’ll be able to take the tailwind of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate with full sails and continue to gain momentum in the US. ” Months to come. “

He added that the results reflected a loss of public confidence in the ruling CDU party due to what he described as “mismanagement” of the government during the pandemic and a corruption scandal that the party had in recent weeks over allegations made by several CDUs Legislators have taken advantage of deals to procure face masks in the early days of the pandemic. The allegations have led to several resignations.

Winds of Change?

After the results of the weekend, the CDU is likely to be looking for the soul, as it is considering who could fill Merkel’s shoes as Chancellor after the elections in September.

Merkel, arguably the strongest and most respected leader in Europe, was generally seen as a safe couple during her leadership and is helping steer the euro zone through the financial crisis. However, she has been criticized in Germany for her decision to allow hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country in 2015. This move was seen as increasing support for the right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland.

The CDU has not yet selected who it will lead in the federal elections, although the main candidates are Armin Laschet, chairman of the CDU, and Markus Soeder, chairman of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union.

Angela Merkel (CDU, lr), Armin Laschet (CDU), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Markus Söder (CSU), Prime Minister of Bavaria, talk to the heads of government.

Image Alliance | Image Alliance | Getty Images

A decision is expected in April or May, although the CDU’s defeats this weekend will increase the pressure on party leaders to quickly nominate a candidate, according to Carsten Brzeski, global macro chief at ING.

“With the results on Sunday, the chances of the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder of being the third Bavarian to lead the CDU to national elections have increased significantly,” he said in a note on Monday.

“In our view, Sunday’s state elections … showed clear dissatisfaction with the national government,” he said, noting that “the main message for the September elections is that the electorate is seeking continuity, but it is unclear what continuity exists. “

Coronavirus suffers

Germany was lauded last year for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and for its robust system of tracking and quarantining contacts that helped contain the spread of the virus and modern hospital infrastructure that helped prevent the high number of deaths contributed, seen praised in other European countries, particularly Italy, Spain, Great Britain and France.

However, in recent months, like other countries, it has had to grapple with the spread of more infectious variants of the virus, which in some cases has spiked it, aided by the winter season and a slow roll-out of Covid vaccines across the country .

National surveys show that support for the CDU rose at the beginning of the pandemic and has remained relatively high over the past 12 months. Whether this continues, however, could be determined by the government’s handling of a third wave of infections, just as citizens are desperate to get their lives back to normal. On Friday, the head of the German health department warned that a third wave had already started.

The political scientist Jungjohann noted that support for the CDU is now waning. “Most people are now saying that the vaccination rollout is not going well and now we’ve seen the corruption scandal unfold and it’s still going on. It is still unclear who will try to follow Angela Merkel,” he said . “It looks like a moment of crisis (against this backdrop) towards the elections.”