A new Covid variant detected in New York is being watched “very, very closely” by US health officials, Anthony Fauci said. Johnson & Johnson is looking for manufacturing partnerships to increase the supply of its vaccine, which was cleared Saturday by US regulators.

The European Commission is set to unveil a proposal this month for a digital vaccine passport, which could ease a return to normality for those who are immunised. But critics say it may be discriminatory and infringe on privacy.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to reassure the public over the emergence of a Brazilian variant. Italy will tighten curbs in some cities, Oslo will close restaurants and shops, and Finland has triggered a state of emergency. France needs another four to six weeks before the government can begin lifting curbs, President Emmanuel Macron signalled.

Key developments:

• Global Tracker: Cases pass 114 million; deaths exceed 2.5 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 241 million shots given worldwide
• J&J’s Covid vaccine could protect millions — if people take it
• Asia-Pacific nations including Indonesia step up vaccination drives
• What to Know About Severe Reactions to Covid Vaccines: QuickTake

NYC variant draws concern from Fauci

A new Covid-19 variant detected in New York City that’s now travelled through various neighbourhoods is being watched “very, very closely” by US health officials, Anthony Fauci said on Monday.

The variant, known scientifically as B.1.526, likely started in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, Fauci, a top adviser to President Joe Biden on the pandemic, said during a news briefing. It is one of five concerning variants now being tracked nationally by health officials.

Recent research suggests B.1.526 needs to be closely watched “for its ability to evade both monoclonal antibody and, to a certain extent, the vaccine-induced antibody,” said Fauci, who also heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“It’s something we take very, very seriously,” Fauci said.

WHO warns of infection rebound 

Global cases rose for the first time in almost two months in the past week, mainly in the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia, the World Health Organisation said. Part of the reason is that countries are easing restrictions, people are letting their guard down and variants are spreading, WHO officials said at a media briefing Monday.

People should continue to limit contacts, avoid crowds and practise hygiene measures as vaccines are being rolled out.

“If the last week tells us anything, it’s that this virus will rebound,” said Maria van Kerkhove, the group’s technical lead officer on Covid-19. “This virus will rebound if we let it. We cannot allow it to take off again.”

No outdoor dining in Austria until Easter

Austria extended lockdown measures for the majority of the country on Monday following government meetings with scientists, opposition parties and provincial governors in Vienna. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ruled out even outdoor dining until Easter as incidence rates in eastern regions of the country doubled to about 200 over the past month. Only restaurants and cafes in the far-western province of Vorarlberg got the go-ahead to reopen from March 15 after infections fell.

Pennsylvania eases restrictions

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said he was easing restrictions, including revising maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor events, as well as ending out-of-state travel restrictions.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” Wolf said in a tweet. “Covid-19 cases are on the decline, and more are being vaccinated.”

Outdoor events are now allowed a maximum of 20% occupancy, regardless of venue size, the governor said. Attendees and workers must keep 1.8m apart. Indoor venues can have 15% occupancy.

J&J looks for partners to boost supply

Johnson & Johnson is looking for manufacturing partnerships to increase the supply of its Covid-19 vaccine that was cleared on Saturday by US regulators, Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky said.

J&J will deliver 3.9 million doses of its one-shot vaccine within the next 24 to 48 hours, Gorsky said on Monday in a telephone interview. The company wants to speed up its timeline of supplying enough vaccines to immunise 20 million Americans by the end of the month and a total of 100 million by the end of June, he said.

“We are doing everything we can partnering with the US government and other external manufacturers to see what we can do to accelerate and increase that number as well,” Gorsky said.

NYC mayor wants more shots for residents

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said many of the shots at large, state-run vaccination sites in the city aren’t going to residents. He said 43% of shots at the massive vaccine site at the Javits Center convention site have gone to non-city residents. Three quarters of shots at the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, which is near one of the hardest-hit parts of the city, have gone to people who don’t live in the city, he said.

Poland may buy Chinese vaccines

The Polish government will discuss the potential purchase of Covid-19 vaccines with its Chinese counterparts, according to a readout from a Monday phone call between Presidents Andrzej Duda and Xi Jinping. Details of possible supplies will be figured out by a special working group.

Poland has already administered 8.39 doses of Covid-19 vaccine per 100 people, one of the highest ratios in the EU, according to Bloomberg tracker.

EU vaccine passports draw closer

The European Commission will unveil a proposal this month for a “digital green pass,” which will provide proof that a person has been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or has received a negative test.

“The proposal’s aim will be to facilitate travel within the European Union based on this medical data that will be available in this green digital pass,” Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

But countries including France have raised objections on the grounds that the policy may be discriminatory against those not vaccinated and infringe on personal data.

French curbs set to be extended

France needs another four to six weeks before the government can start lifting restrictions, Agence France-Presse reported on Monday, citing comments made by President Emmanuel Macron. The country is already implementing a nationwide curfew that runs from 6pm to 6am, but officials have warned that more curbs might be needed.

Finland’s state of emergency

Finland declared a state of emergency, allowing the government to shutter bars and stop dining at restaurants for three weeks from 8 March. It’s preparing an aid package for the affected businesses.

In addition, the government may use emergency powers to restrict people’s movements at a later point, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.

Iran’s new cases hit three-month high

Iran recorded 108 deaths from coronavirus in 24 hours, the highest since 4 January and the first time in seven weeks that the country surpassed 100 Covid-19 deaths in a day. The number of daily new cases rose by 8,510, the highest since 11 December, the Health Ministry reported. Iran now has 60,181 deaths from the virus with more than 1.6 million infections. DM

— With assistance by Dara Doyle, Shelly Banjo, Jonathan Tirone, and Corinne Gretler.

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