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April 27, 2021 - Brief Issue 188

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

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Top Headlines

One Billion Vaccine Doses Have Been Administered, But Covid-19 Still Runs Rampant Across the Globe (Health & Science)

CDC Says Summer Campers Should Follow Three-Food Social Distancing Rule and Wear Masks as Much as Possible (Health & Science)

U.S. Companies Begin to Make Covid-19 Vaccine Prerequisite for Employment (Health & Science)

E.U. Sues AstraZeneca Over Vaccine Delays (Around the World)

Hong Kong and Singapore Create Travel Bubble (Around the World)

Gaza Hospitals Could be Overwhelmed Soon (Around the World)

U.S. to Provide Aid to India to Help With Covid Crisis (U.S. Government & Politics)

Emergent CEO Sold $10 Million in Stock Before Vaccine Production Troubles Sent its Stock Tumbling (U.S. Economy)

Students Are Returning to School, But Most Returnees Are White (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 32,125,098 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 572,696 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has conducted 428,582,253 tests and administered 215,951,909 vaccine doses, with 42.5% of Americans having received their first vaccine dose and 28.9% fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 147,925,414 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 3,122,315 deaths. At least 85,628,214 people have recovered from the virus.

One Billion Vaccine Doses Have Been Administered, But Covid-19 Still Runs Rampant Across the Globe

As the world exceeds the milestone of one billion coronavirus vaccines administered, Covid-19 cases are surging globally, with last week’s seven-day new case average of 774,404 surpassing the peak average of the first wave of cases in early 2020 (NYT). There is also inequity in global vaccine distribution; 82% of shots have been given out in high- and upper-middle-income countries, compared only 0.2% in low-income countries. Experts say recent spikes in Covid-19 numbers result from the loosening of public health measures as more contagious variants take root. To curb the global toll of Covid-19, said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University, wealthier countries with more vaccine doses should be sending their surplus to harder-hit locations. “We have to start thinking on a global scale and do what we can to help these other countries,” Murphy said. “Otherwise we’re never going to put out the whole fire.”

CDC Says Summer Campers Should Follow Three-Food Social Distancing Rule and Wear Masks as Much as Possible

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated Covid-19 guidance for summer camps, many of which will begin next month, emphasizing the importance of mask-wearing, conducting as many activities as possible outdoors, and three-foot social distancing (NYT). While children are not yet eligible for the vaccine, the CDC said campers and staff who are not able to get fully vaccinated should quarantine for two weeks before camp and provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival. The guidance also suggests daily symptom checks for campers and staff. 

U.S. Companies Begin to Make Covid-19 Vaccine Prerequisite for Employment 

Employers across the country are starting to ask that new hires, or in some cases existing employees, be vaccinated against Covid-19, or at least willing to get vaccinated soon after employment (WSJ). According to human resources experts and employment attorneys, some companies were initially hesitant to require vaccines – expressing concerns about vaccine access and employee pushback – but as vaccination efforts ramp up, more employers are putting stipulations in place. Requiring vaccines is legal, as long as companies recognize medical and religious exemptions and don’t invade workers’ privacy. Kevin Troutman, who leads the vaccine work group at Fisher Phillips LLP, said the majority of employers are accommodating when requiring vaccines, giving employees time to schedule their shots. “The enforcement process can be pretty complicated,” Troutman said. “I’m beginning to see a slow movement of more employers looking to require it.”

NYC Study Indicates Breakthrough Infections Are Uncommon

A study published in New England Journal of Medicine found that out of 417 employees at Rockefeller University who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna shots, only two people, or 0.5%, tested positive for Covid-19 later on (CNN). Both of these so-called “breakthrough infections” were caused by newer coronavirus variants, one with a mutation found in the South African strain that helps the virus evade the immune system. The Rockefeller University findings echo existing data suggesting that breakthrough infections are quite rare; the CDC reports only 6,000 such cases out of the 84 million people fully vaccinated worldwide. According to the CDC, about 40% of reported breakthrough infections occurred in people above 60 years old, with a slightly higher prevalence in females. Almost a third were asymptomatic. 

More Americans Aren’t Showing Up For Second Vaccine Dose

U.S. CDC data indicates that about 8% of Americans who received an initial dose of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine missed their second one as of April 9, up from just 3.4% in March (CNN, NYT). These figures aren’t precise – data is limited, and some people slip through the cracks by getting shots from two different sites – but experts say it’s expected that some people won’t get their second shot. "Obviously whenever you have a two-dose vaccine, you're going to see people who for one reason or other –  convenience, forgetting, a number of other things –  just don't show up for the second vaccine," said chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. Plus, people who had top priority for vaccination, like health care workers, often got their vaccines at work, making it easier to stay on schedule. Personal attitudes, barriers to access, and supply issues have also contributed to missed second doses. Some state officials are boosting their efforts to make sure people get fully vaccinated, which, research shows, is important for maximum protection. A CDC spokesperson said the reasons driving Americans to skip their second shots deserve further attention. 

Poll Shows Widespread Mistrust of J&J Vaccine

A Washington Post-ABC News poll of 1,007 adults highlighted Americans’ mistrust of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was temporarily suspended for 10 days over concerns about rare blood clots (WaPo). Fewer than 1 in 4 of the participants who weren’t yet vaccinated said they would take the J&J shot. Plus, less than half of the total survey participants said they considered the J&J vaccine very or somewhat safe, while over 7 in 10 people said that about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Some public health experts, including vaccine specialist Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, wonder if pausing the J&J shot to carefully review a handful of adverse blood clotting reactions did more harm than good by shaking the public’s confidence in the vaccine. “If I hear the phrase ‘abundance of caution’ one more time, I’m going to jump out of my window,” Offit said. “In the name of transparency, in the name of openness, we scare people.”

Biden to Announce New Outdoor Mask Guidance

President Biden is expected to reveal updated CDC guidelines on whether vaccinated people should wear masks outside this Tuesday, during his remarks on the state of the pandemic (CNN). Some states still have outdoor mask mandates instated, and the CDC currently recommends that vaccinated people wear masks when gathering outdoors. According to a federal official, the Biden administration will likely discuss “unmasking outdoors” on Tuesday, in addition to other revised recommendations. Chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN Sunday that officials “will be coming out with updating their guidelines of what people who are vaccinated can do and even some who are not vaccinated."

Bonus Read: “Why Is It So Hard to Investigate the Rare Side Effects of COVID Vaccines?” (Nature).

Around the World

Europe

EU Sues AstraZeneca Over Vaccine Delays

The European Union has sued AstraZeneca over a breach in contract due to shipping delays on hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines. It’s an escalation of a dispute between the bloc and pharmaceutical company that has been playing out for months. In January, AstraZeneca fell behind on the expected deliveries for the first quarter of the year, causing major delays to the bloc’s vaccination campaign. Then, just recently, AstraZeneca told the EU that it would be able to deliver only a third of the 300 million doses that European officials were expecting by the end of June. Of the 120 million doses agreed for delivery in the first quarter, the EU received about 30 million (WSJ). For the current quarter, the parties agreed on 180 million doses, but the deliveries have so far reached into the single-digit millions so far. At issue in the dispute is the question of whether AstraZeneca had done everything in its power to meet the delivery schedule stipulated in the contract. Pascal Soriot, the company’s chief executive, has said that the contract required only that it make its “best efforts” to deliver the purchased doses on time, according to the New York Times. 

Italy Opens Again 

After six months of on-again, off-again closures and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, Italy reopened restaurants and bars, museums and cinemas in most of the country on Monday under the gradual reopening plan laid out by Premier Mario Draghi. The tentative reopening, which allows outdoor dining but still includes a 10 p.m. curfew, is “seen as too cautious for some, too hasty for others” (AP). It also allows free travel among 15 of Italy’s 21 regions and provinces for the first time in months. The government hopes that the renewed economic activity generated by the gradual reopening, which will continue with outdoor pools next month, then gyms and larger events and fairs starting in June, will be aided by the 200 billion euros ($241 billion) in EU and Italian recovery funds. “I am sure that honesty, intelligence and the taste for the future will prevail over corruption, stupidity and vested interests,” Draghi told lawmakers in Rome on Monday.

Asia

Bonus Read: “India’s Fashion Artisans Face ‘Extreme Distress’ in Pandemic (NYT).”

Hong Kong and Singapore Create Travel Bubble

The governments of Singapore and Hong Kong announced on Monday that a travel bubble between the two financial centers next month that would allow travelers to bypass quarantine (NYT). The travel arrangement was originally planned for last November but was suspended when Hong Kong experienced a surge in coronavirus cases. Both places are now reporting relatively few local infections. Officials say the travel bubble will take effect on May 26 and will be open to people of any nationality in Singapore and Hong Kong but will be limited to one flight per day in each direction, a total of about 200 passengers. Travelers must test negative before departure and again on arrival and must download and use government contact-tracing apps. “Both sides will need to stay very vigilant in the next one month, so that we can launch the first flights smoothly,” Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s minister of transport, said in a statement.

Philippines Considers Extending Lockdown, Cases Over 1 Million

On Monday officials in the Philippines weighed extending a month-long lockdown in the Manila region amid a big spike in cases. The Department of Health reported 8,929 new infections on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to over 1 million since the start of the pandemic (AP). Restrictions were first put in place in March of last year, then loosened later in the year, but infections spiked again last month. The lockdown in the Manila region has hampered economic activity in the country’s financial and commercial hub that is home to more than 25 million people.

Middle East

Gaza Hospitals Could be Overwhelmed Soon

A sudden surge in infections and deaths due to Covid-19 in the crowded Gaza Strip is threatening to overwhelm hospitals (AP). The European Hospital in the town of Khan Younis, the main treatment center for Covid-19 patients, is running out of resources and oxygen. The director of the hospital, Yousef al-Aqqad, said 118 of the 150 beds are occupied by patients in critical or serious condition and that if the number of patients exceeds 150 the hospital would need hundreds more oxygen cylinders. All of Gaza has been designated a “red zone” because community transmission is so high; the start of Ramadan in mid-April and crowded markets along with late-night mosque prayers fueled the high infection rate. Gaza’s limited medical infrastructure exacerbated the situation.

U.S. Government & Politics

U.S. to Provide Aid to India to Help With Covid Crisis

On Sunday, the United States announced that it would provide assistance to India to help the country address its devastating Covid crisis, which is spiraling out of control (NYT, Politico). The assistance would remove restrictions on the provision of materials for the production of vaccines and provide testing kits, ventilators, and personal protective equipment. National Security Council Spokesperson Emily Horne stated, “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need.” The crisis in India, the world’s largest producer of vaccines where fewer than 10% of the population has been vaccinated has stood as a marker of the inequality of the vaccine rollout. On Sunday, India marked 349,000 new infections in a single day, the global record.

Post-ABC Poll: Views of Biden Generally Favorable at 100 Days

According to a Washington Post/ABC poll, Americans view Biden’s administration in generally favorable terms for his first 100 days in office (WaPo). The poll found 52% approved of Biden’s performance with 42 percent disapproving. The Post notes, “this point in his presidency four years ago, Trump’s rating was nearly the reverse, with approval at 42 percent and disapproval at 53 percent.” Biden’s approval rating is highest when people are asked about his handling of the pandemic. On that issue, 64% of adults approved.

U.S. Economy

Emergent CEO Sold $10 Million in Stock Before Vaccine Production Troubles Sent its Stock Tumbling

The Washington Post reports that while manufacturing problems at Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore factory that ruined $15 million of J&J vaccine and led to a halt in production at the facility led to tumbling stock prices, the company’s CEO avoided much of the impact (WaPo). The company’s stock fell from $125 before the news in mid-February to $62 a share. Yet in January and February CEO Robert G. Kramer sold $10 million in shares. Today those stocks would be worth about $5.5 million. According to the Post, the sales were Kramer’s first substantial sale of stock since April 2016. The Post notes, “Kramer’s sales were made as part of a trading plan that he adopted on Nov. 13, according to securities filings. Such plans, which establish in advance when stocks are to be bought and sold, are intended to protect company insiders from suggestions that they traded on the basis of confidential information that would influence the stock price, which is unlawful.” However, it also notes that internal logs showed signs of trouble in the manufacturing process prior to November 2020 including the destruction of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine in October 2020 due to manufacturing defects. Several law firms have expressed interest in examining the sales.

Bonus Read: “What Wall Street Is Telling Us About the U.S. Economic Outlook,” (WSJ).

U.S. Society

Students Are Returning to School, But Most Returnees Are White

Schools are reopening and students are returning to in-person classes, but there are signs of racial disparities in the return. Politico reports that most of the returning students so far are white (Politico). Politico writes, “Minority students are most likely to be missing out on in-person learning, despite assurances of classroom safety under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and outreach by local and state school districts. It’s a key challenge facing Biden as he moves beyond his first months in office, and one the administration insists it is prepared to tackle.” Politico notes, “Eighty percent of public schools were open for at least some in-person learning by the end of February, according to a government survey, but an estimated 78 percent of Asian eighth-graders were learning in a fully remote environment. Nearly 60 percent of Black and Hispanic eighth-graders also learned at home full time.”

Analysis & Arguments

Yasmeen Serhan writes on why India’s Covid crisis is a crisis for the world (Atlantic).

Amy Davidson Sorkin writes on the lessons of the J&J vaccine saga (New Yorker).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

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