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March 16, 2022 - Brief Issue 301
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
Pfizer Asks for Approval of Second Booster for Older Americans (Health & Science)
CDC Lowers Cruise Line and Caribbean Island Warning Levels (Health & Science)
Germany Reports Record Numbers, Eases Restrictions Anyway (Around the World)
UK Announces End of Travel Restrictions (Around the World)
In Africa, Vaccinations are Mix and Match (Around the World)
White House Says Its Scaling Back Covid Response Due to Lack of Funding (U.S. Government & Politics)
GOP Presidential Hopefuls Challenge Trump on Covid Response, Other Issues; Americans Doubtful Biden Will Run in 2024 (U.S. Government & Politics)
Senate Health Committee Votes for Independent Coronavirus Task Force (U.S. Government & Politics)
In Stark Increase, TSA Issued Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Mask Mandate Fines Over Past Six Months (U.S. Government & Politics)
Sarah Bloom Raskin Withdraws Her Nomination to Federal Reserve Board (U.S. Government & Politics)
Producer Price Increases Leveled Off in February (U.S. Economy)
Oil Prices Fall Below $100/Barrel Amid China Covid Shutdowns (U.S. Economy)
Movie Theater Giant AMC to Buy Stake in Gold and Silver Mining Company (U.S. Economy)
Texas Workers Return to Offices, But Not All is Back to Normal (U.S. Society)
Costco Announces the End of “Senior Hours” (U.S. Society)
Despite Rising Airfare, Demand for Travel Remains Steady (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 79,587,007 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 966,473 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 557,407,604 vaccine doses, with 76.7% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 65.3% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 88.2% have received at least one dose, and 75.2% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 44.4% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 461,852,544 cases of coronavirus, with 6,052,806 deaths.
Pfizer Asks for Approval of Second Booster for Older Americans
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Tuesday that they have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a second booster shot of their Covid vaccine for adults 65 and older. The request was based on data from Israel where a fourth shot has been authorized for an even broader group (NYT). One study that was cited reviewed the health records of 1.1 million people and found they were less likely to become infected or develop severe illness following a fourth dose.
As we covered in an earlier brief this week, Pfizer’s chief executive, Dr. Albert Bourla, said that he believed an additional dose would be necessary to counteract waning protection. “The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” he told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It’s not that good against infections.” There has been ongoing debate between health experts regarding the need for a fourth booster shot, though there is mostly agreement about the need for an additional booster for those who are immune-compromised or who are older.
CDC Lowers Cruise Line and Caribbean Island Warning Levels
On Monday, the CDC lowered its warning level for a variety of Caribbean vacation destinations and for cruise lines (WaPo). The warning for cruises had previously been at Level 4, the highest level, until the CDC dropped it to Level 3 in mid-February. The new change drops it further to Level 2, describing the risk of getting Covid on a cruise as “moderate.” The Washington Post writes, “The public health agency reassigned travel warnings for nine vacation destinations in the Caribbean and Atlantic from Level 4 — which means a “very high” level of covid-19 — to Level 3, which means the level of the virus is merely “high.” They include Cuba, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos.”
Bonus Read: “Inside the High-Stakes Race to Test the Covid Tests,” (NYT).
Around the World
Germany Reports Record Numbers, Eases Restrictions Anyway
On Tuesday Germany reported a record seven-day incidence rate of the coronavirus just days before restrictions are to be eased. According to the Robert Koch Institute, 198,888 new infections were registered in just 24 hours (Der Spiegel). Despite the high number of infections, restrictions will be relaxed starting March 20 for most of the country. The new law will allow for certain “hotspots” of infection to reimpose certain restrictions and will continue to demand “basic protection,” which includes a mask mandate in nursing homes, clinics, and on public transport along with a testing requirement for schools and daycares. The government has said that even though infections are rising, the healthcare system is no longer at risk of being overloaded (Reuters).
UK Announces End of Travel Restrictions
On Monday the British government announced that it would put an end to its remaining international travel restrictions this week, calling it a “landmark moment” (NYT). Starting on Friday, travelers will no longer be required to submit a passenger locator form with their vaccination status and all fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to get tested before entering the country. “Today’s announcement sends a clear message to the world — the U.K. travel sector is back,” Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of Airlines UK, a trade group, said in a statement. “We can now look forward to the return to pre-Covid normality.”
In Africa, Vaccinations are Mix and Match
Even as vaccination supply in the lowest-income countries is increasing, it is still unpredictable and often a hodgepodge of different types, making it difficult for health systems to plan and distribute the shots. In Africa, many underfunded healthcare systems still struggle with the logistics of a vaccination campaign: storage is difficult to procure, personnel to administer the shots are lacking, and transportation needed to reach people in rural areas is hard to come by. As a result, many countries in Africa are unable to adhere to the latest guidelines by the World Health Organization in terms of dosing schedules and age groups. AstraZeneca shots, which the WHO stipulates should be two doses given at eight to 12 weeks apart, are being delivered at erratic intervals, making it impossible to stick to the timeframe. The New York Times writes, “In Sierra Leone, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is still being used as a single shot, although the W.H.O. recommended in December that it should be given as two doses when possible.”
“What we say is, better one dose than zero,” Austin Demby, Sierra Leone’s health minister, said in an interview in the capital, Freetown. “And I would prefer two doses any time. But the logistics of it is just unbelievable. Imagine trying to track these multiple vaccinations, different dates, different times, different expiration dates. It’s a medley of protocols. It’s a nightmare.”
Bonus Read: “Rollback of Xi Jinping’s Economic Campaign Exposes Cracks in His Power,” (WSJ).
U.S. Government & Politics
Bonus Read: “Democrats Grapple With Mixed Covid-19 Stimulus Legacy on Anniversary,” (WSJ).
White House Says Its Scaling Back Covid Response Due to Lack of Funding
On Tuesday, the White House announced that it is scaling back a number of Covid response efforts because it lacks funding to continue them (NYT). The New York Times writes that the administration said due to the stalled request for further funding, “it is already scaling back plans to purchase monoclonal antibody medicines to prevent and treat Covid-19, and will stop reimbursing medical providers who provide Covid care for the uninsured in early April unless the money is approved.” The Times adds, “Senior administration officials, speaking on a conference call with reporters, reiterated their demand that lawmakers approve $22.5 billion in funding. That amount was slashed by Congress to $15.6 billion, but even that is now hanging in the balance, because lawmakers stripped Covid relief funding out of a massive spending bill they passed last week after Republicans refused to support new spending for it.”
GOP Presidential Hopefuls Challenge Trump on Covid Response, Other Issues; Americans Doubtful Biden Will Run in 2024
Politico reports that rumored contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 are beginning to challenge Trump on issues including his response to the pandemic as they seek to establish their brands (Politico). Politico writes, “Republicans looking to run in 2024 once lived in fear of crossing former President Donald Trump. That’s starting to change,” noting recent comments from Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), former Vice President Mike Pence, and Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, in particular, has sought to chart a course critical of Trump for his role in promulgating pandemic restrictions. Politico writes that DeSantis, “has second-guessed Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Asked to identify a regret from his time as governor on a recent appearance on the conservative ‘Ruthless’ podcast, DeSantis picked one that reflected on Trump, saying he wished he had spoken out ‘much louder’ against Trump’s support for restrictions during the opening days of the pandemic.” Senator Cotton criticized Trump regarding his support for sentencing reform via the First Step Act, and Pence criticized Trump on his continued focus on alleging election fraud in 2020.
Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal poll finds that Americans are doubtful that President Biden will run for a second term in 2024 (WSJ). The Journal writes, “A new Wall Street Journal poll found that 52% of Americans don’t think Mr. Biden will run for re-election in two years, while 29% do expect him to pursue a second term. Nineteen percent are undecided about his future. Among Democrats, 41% said they think Mr. Biden will run again, while 32% said they didn’t think he would. The poll found 26% of those Democrats unsure.” Biden, who is 79, has said that he will run again, but the Journal writes that “interviews conducted in recent weeks with dozens of voters, activists and local officials in the nation’s top battleground states” found “ambivalence and uncertainty” over whether Biden should run, and a lack of consensus over who should replace him if he doesn’t.
Senate Health Committee Votes for Independent Coronavirus Task Force
On Tuesday, the Senate Health Committee voted to establish an independent task force to examine the United States’ pandemic response (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “The vote on that bipartisan legislation, part of the Prevent Pandemics Act advanced by the Senate’s health committee, comes as Democrats and Republicans have pursued their own probes, seeking to shape public perceptions ahead of midterm elections that could alter the balance of power in Washington.” The Post adds, “Those increasingly partisan efforts include a House panel set up by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in 2020, which has focused on the Trump administration’s missteps and is set to finalize its report later this year, as well as inquiries led by individual Republicans.”
In Stark Increase, TSA Issued Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Mask Mandate Fines Over Past Six Months
On Monday, the Government Accountability Office released a report showing that the Transportation Security Administration has issued more than $640,000 in fines related to violations of its mask mandate in the past six months (NYT). The New York Times notes, “It was a stark increase compared with a six-month period from February to September of last year, when the T.S.A. issued more than 2,000 warnings and fined just 10 passengers a total of $2,350, according to a news release in October.”
Sarah Bloom Raskin Withdraws Her Nomination to Federal Reserve Board
The New Yorker reports that Sarah Bloom Raskin, Biden’s nominee for the vice-chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve Board withdrew her nomination in a letter to Biden on Tuesday (New Yorker, Axios, Politico). The withdrawal follows Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)’s statement that he would not support her nomination, which we covered in yesterday’s brief.
Bonus Read: “Schumer's Senate shocker: Bills are passing (seriously),” (Politico).
U.S. Economy
Bonus Read: “Fed Wrestles With the Challenge of How Quickly to Raise Interest Rates,” (WSJ).
Producer Price Increases Leveled Off in February
On Tuesday, the Department of Labor released data showing that increases in producer prices leveled off in February (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “the producer-price index, which generally reflects supply conditions in the economy, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8% in February from the prior month, slowing from January’s upwardly revised 1.2% increase.” Despite leveling off, the index remains at record highs. The Journal writes, “On a 12-month basis, the producer-price index was 10% in February, similar to levels since November and the highest since records began in 2010.” The Journal, however, notes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the recent shutdowns of critical factories in China as a result of surging Covid cases could introduce new inflationary pressures.
Oil Prices Fall Below $100/Barrel Amid China Covid Shutdowns
On Tuesday, oil prices fell below $100 a barrel amid news of China’s imposition of Covid lockdowns amid surging cases (NYT). Perceptions that the lockdowns would reduce demand for oil in the world’s largest importer of oil, fueled the price fall. The New York Times writes, “Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell about 8 percent to about $98.87 a barrel, its lowest price since late February. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, was down more than 8 percent at $94.43 a barrel. Over the past week, crude prices have plunged by more than 20 percent, reversing much of the surge that came after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Movie Theater Giant AMC to Buy Stake in Gold and Silver Mining Company
Movie Theater giant AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. has announced that it is buying a 22% share of the Nevada-based gold and silver mining company Hycroft (WSJ). On Tuesday, AMC CEO Adam Aron tweeted, “AMC is playing on offense again with a bold diversification move.” The Journal notes that the move comes as AMC seeks to adapt to the pandemic’s impact on its core business. Aron described the move as an investment in “a company in an unrelated industry that appears to be just like AMC of a year ago. It, too, has rock-solid assets, but for a variety of reasons, it has been facing a severe and immediate liquidity issue”
U.S. Society
Texas Workers Return to Offices, But Not All is Back to Normal
In major cities across Texas, employees are returning to in-person office work, but not nearly at the same rate as they were before the pandemic. In Houston, approximately 85 percent of businesses have returned to office work environments or have plans in the works to do so. Despite this rate, one of the highest in the country, the average Houston “worker is showing up at the office about 10.7 days a month, compared with 17 before the pandemic” writes the Wall Street Journal. Due to the availability of hybrid work situations, analysts say this trend will slow and limit a full in-person office return. Commercial properties, city tax revenues, and businesses relying on commuters will be hit hard by this new era of work-from-home ability. Furthermore, higher gas prices, as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have led some workers who rely on driving commutes to resist returning to the office.
Costco Announces the End of “Senior Hours”
Costco recently announced that it will end the institution of “senior hours” for shoppers aged 60 and older. Senior members of the population, healthcare workers, first responders, and those with disabilities or who are immunocompromised will have until April 17 to continue shopping during these special hours. The operating hours were put in place at the start of the pandemic to limit person-to-person contact and chance of transmission and help those deemed extremely vulnerable by the CDC. Costco is one of many major grocery store chains that put these protocols in place, reports USA Today. Until mid-April, senior hours will remain in place, “twice a week from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at warehouses in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with limited exceptions.”
Despite Rising Airfare, Demand for Travel Remains Steady
Despite the rising price of plane tickets, there is a parallel increase in demand for travel. At the beginning of 2022, Omicron discouraged travelers from purchasing flights, but after subsiding, “airline executives said demand has rebounded more quickly than they anticipated. As a result, carriers said they expect to be able to absorb higher jet fuel costs by paring back flying capacity and passing the costs along to customers,” reports the Wall Street Journal. The rise in oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused worry about the price of jet fuel, but airlines are saying the rise in demand for travel is extremely timely. There is willingness to pay higher ticket fares and demand has not been affected, marking “new pandemic-era milestones.”
Analysis & Arguments
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