(Bloomberg) — Singapore and China agreed to ease quarantine requirements for business and official travelers as countries in Asia slowly take steps to ease back to normal, while Japan reportedly debates scaling back its Olympics to avoid cancellation.
In the U.S., New York reported the lowest daily death toll and hospitalization rate since its outbreak began, leading Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare victory over the virus.
And a malaria drug that was touted and then taken by President Donald Trump in hopes of preventing coronavirus infection failed to offer patients any protection in a significant study. The World Health Organization said it would resume a study of the drug after questions arose about data linking it to increased death and heart risks.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 6.4 million; deaths exceed 383,000
- Singapore’s testing of migrant workers will take time
- Indonesia looks to reopen tourism sector to locals
- Japan reportedly mulls scaling back Olympics
- Brazil, Mexico record record daily rise in deaths
- U.S. protests will test theories of viral spread outdoors
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Singapore Says Testing Migrant Workers for Virus to Take Time (12:16 p.m. HK)
Testing all the migrant workers in the Southeast Asian financial center could take some time and go on until August or September, Singaporean Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in parliament. An outbreak among low-wage migrant workers staying in cramped dormitories has led the city-state to record one of the largest virus tallies in Asia.
South Korea Reports 39 More Coronavirus Cases (9:21 a.m. HK)
The country reported 39 additional infections over 24 hours, bringing its total tally to 11,629, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Fourteen cases were confirmed in Seoul.
A landslide election victory for President Moon Jae-in’s parties in April showed resounding support among South Koreans for increased government spending supported by the central bank to ride out the economic impact of the pandemic.
Brazil, Mexico Report Record Daily Deaths (9:18 a.m. HK)
Brazil reported a record number of daily deaths from Covid-19 as the pandemic continues to spread in Latin America’s largest nation. It had 1,349 new fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the total to 32,548. Brazil also recorded 28,633 new cases, pushing the total to 584,016, behind only the U.S. The nation of 210 million people has become an epicenter of the virus, and health experts say the peak of the disease has yet to arrive.
Mexico also registered a record daily rise of 1,092 deaths as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has resumed traveling across the country. Total deaths reached 11,729, according to data released by the Health Ministry Wednesday night. The country now has the seventh-deadliest outbreak worldwide.
Indonesia Reopening Tourism Sector for Locals Next Month (8:46 a.m. HK)
The resumption of activities in the Southeast Asian nation will first begin at tourist destinations within green zones, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan. The government will maintain strict health protocols at the destinations, Pandjaitan said in a statement.
China Reports One Imported Case (7:55 a.m. HK)
China’s only additional coronavirus case on June 3 was reported in Guangdong province, according to a statement from its National Health Commission. Four so-called asymptomatic cases were also reported, with all of them found in people who had come from abroad, it said.
The country, where the virus first emerged late last year, now has 326 asymptomatic cases under medical observation. It has 83,022 total cases, with its death toll standing at 4,634.
Japan Mulls Scaling Back Olympics: Yomiuri (7:22 a.m. HK)
The country is weighing options to scale back the delayed games — set to be held in summer 2021 — including limiting spectators and reducing the size of ceremonies, Yomiuri reported, citing several unidentified government and organizing committee officials.
It’s also considering mandatory PCR testing for all athletes, officials and spectators, the outlet said, as well as limiting the movement of competitors to the Olympic Village. The report cited an unidentified government official as saying avoiding cancellation, which would be the the “worst case scenario,” was of the utmost importance.
More Than 40% May Not Have Symptoms: Study (5:50 p.m. NY)
As many as 45% of people who contract the virus don’t show any symptoms, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers at Scripps Research Translational Institute reviewed studies of 16 different populations infected with the new coronavirus and examined how many showed no signs of illness. They concluded that asymptomatic people may account for 40% to 45% of infections. They also found that those individuals can transmit the virus to others for an extended period, perhaps longer than 14 days.
Answering the question of how many people don’t show any symptoms is crucial for policymakers to get a sense of just how widespread — and how deadly — the virus really is.
White House Works With Seven Drugmakers in Vaccine Push (4:45 p.m. NY)
The White House is working with seven pharmaceutical companies as part of its “Warp Speed” coronavirus vaccine program. They include Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc., and the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca Plc, as well as two other firms, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Operation Warp Speed seeks to compress a vaccine process that is typically years long into a matter of months, in part by spending as much as $10 billion on research, manufacturing and agreements to guarantee purchase of the vaccines, one of the people said. The effort is being led by General Gustave Perna, who directs the U.S. Army Materiel Command, and former GlaxoSmithKline Plc executive Moncef Slaoui.
Germany Agrees to $146 Billion Stimulus Plan (4:40 p.m. NY)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition agreed to a 130 billion-euro ($146 billion) stimulus package to help Europe’s biggest economy recover from the coronavirus crisis. The deal includes tax relief for companies, money for families, car-sales incentives and aid to municipalities.
California to Expand Mail-In Voting (4:15 p.m. NY)
California Governor Gavin Newsom doubled down on his efforts to use mail-in voting for the presidential election, ordering counties to set up drop boxes for ballots nearly a month before election day to expand accessibility during the pandemic.
U.S. Cases Rise 1.2% (4 p.m. NY)
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. increased 1.2% as compared to the same time yesterday, to 1.84 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. That’s in line with than Tuesday’s rate as well as the average over the past seven days. Deaths rose 1% to 106,696.
Dutch Ease Travel Restrictions (2 p.m. NY)
The Netherlands lifted travel restrictions from mid-June for most countries in the region, joining other nations in the European Union that are easing limits. The government lowered its travel warning to yellow, meaning passengers are advised to pay attention to safety risks, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
WHO to Restart Hydroxychloroquine Study (12:44 p.m. NY)
An international trial using hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 patients will be restarted after questions arose about a study linking the antimalarial drug to increased death and heart risks.
The World Health Organization said Wednesday that it will resume recruiting patients for the hydroxychloroquine arm of a global trial called Solidarity.
Cuomo Says N.Y. ‘Beat’ the Virus (12:34 p.m. NY)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared victory over the coronavirus pandemic, touting the lowest daily death toll and hospitalization rate since it began.
