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☆ China Stops Issuing Daily Covid Data Ahead of Outbreak’s Peak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—China’s central health authority has stopped publishing daily Covid-19 data, ending a three-year effort that has drawn mounting criticism for massively underreporting the surge in infections now sweeping the country. In a one-line announcement Sunday, China’s National Health Commission said it would no longer issue its daily report on Covid infections and deaths. Relevant Covid information will instead be published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for reference and research, it said, without giving any further information.

☆ Over 50 hospitalized after Christmas Eve bus crash in British Columbia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Claire Cardona | Claire Cardona Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In Texas. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Dozens of people were taken to hospital late Christmas Eve after a bus accident on a British Columbia highway, Canadian officials said. Medical teams were receiving 53 patients at three hospitals in the cities of Kelowna, Penticton and Merritt, Interior Health said on Twitter late Saturday. Their conditions were not immediately available, but British Columbia’s Interior Health Authority said on its Twitter feed that it had initiated a “Code Orange” response to the accident. “We will make every effort to connect families with patients as soon as possible,” the authority tweeted. A portion of both directions of Highway 97C was closed because of the accident.

☆ Shanghai asks residents to stay in on Christmas as China Covid surges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Shanghai authorities urged residents to stay at home this weekend, seeking a toned-down Christmas in the nation’s most populous city as Covid-19 rages nationwide after tough curbs were lifted. Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in China, but it is common for young couples and some families to spend the holiday together. People lamented on social media that they will be staying inside as most of their friends have tested positive for Covid. China’s national health authority on Saturday reported 4,128 daily symptomatic Covid-19 infections, and no deaths for a fourth consecutive day. In Wuhan, the central city where Covid emerged three years ago, media reported on Friday that the local blood repository had just 4,000 units, enough to last two days.

☆ Shanghai asks residents to stay in on Christmas as China COVID surges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Shanghai authorities urged residents to stay at home this weekend, seeking a toned-down Christmas in the nation's most populous city as COVID-19 rages nationwide after tough curbs were lifted. Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in China, but it is common for young couples and some families to spend the holiday together. Taiyuan authorities urged residents to call the number only for medical emergencies, saying guidance about COVID "does not fall within the scope of the hotline." A health official in Qingdao said the port city was seeing roughly 500,000 daily infections, media reported on Friday. In Wuhan, the central city where COVID emerged three years ago, media reported on Friday that the local blood repository had just 4,000 units, enough to last two days.

☆ China estimates COVID surge is infecting 37 million people a day - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Nearly 37 million people in China may have been infected with COVID-19 on a single day this week, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing estimates from the government's top health authority. About 248 million people, which is nearly 18% of the population, are likely to have contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December, the report said, citing minutes from an internal meeting of China's National Health Commission held on Wednesday. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru. Editing by Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

According to the group's projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. About a third of China's population will have been infected by then, IHME Director Christopher Murray said. China's national health authority has not reported any official COVID deaths since the lifting of COVID restrictions. Based on China's population of 1.41 billion, and without measures such as a mass vaccination booster campaign, that amounts to 964,400 deaths. China's National Health Commission said on Friday it was ramping up vaccinations and building stocks of ventilators and essential drugs.

☆ New Covid model predicts over 1 million deaths in China through 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

According to the group's projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. About a third of China's population will have been infected by then, IHME Director Christopher Murray said. China's national health authority has not reported any official Covid deaths since the lifting of Covid restrictions. China's zero-Covid policy may have been effective at keeping earlier variants of the virus at bay, but the high transmissibility of Omicron variants made it impossible to sustain, he said. Based on China's population of 1.41 billion, and without measures such as a mass vaccination booster campaign, that amounts to 964,400 deaths.

[1/5] People wait to purchase medicine at a pharmacy, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Xiaoyu YinBEIJING/SHANGHAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Funeral homes across China's COVID-hit capital Beijing, a city of 22 million, scrambled on Saturday to keep up with calls for funeral and cremation services as workers and drivers testing positive for the novel coronavirus called in sick. In Beijing, which has yet to report any COVID deaths since the policies changed on Dec. 7, sick workers have hit the staffing of services from restaurants and courier firms to its roughly one dozen funeral parlours. "We've fewer cars and workers now," a staffer at Miyun Funeral Home told Reuters, adding that there was a mounting backlog of demand for cremation services. China's health authority last reported COVID deaths on Dec. 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces.

☆ Chinese capital Beijing reports first COVID deaths since policy easing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in the capital Beijing in recent days due to COVID-19, local media reported on Friday, among the first reported fatalities since most epidemic control policies were removed on Dec. 7. Yang Lianghua, a former People's Daily reporter, died on Dec. 15, aged 74, while Zhou Zhichun, a former China Youth Daily editor, died on Dec. 8, aged 77, according to financial magazine Caixin. China's national health authority has not reported any official COVID deaths since dismantling many of its domestic epidemic control policies on Dec. 7. The last official deaths were reported on Dec. 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ DOJ sues Arizona for placing shipping containers at the border
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The federal government is suing Arizona for placing shipping containers at the border as a temporary wall, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Doug Ducey, a Republican, issued an executive order telling the state’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to use shipping containers to fill in gaps along the border, and did so without official permits or authorization, CNN previously reported. The federal government has been battling with the state ever since to get the containers removed, according to the lawsuit. “Not only has Arizona refused to halt its trespasses and remove the shipping containers from federal lands, but it has indicated that it will continue to trespass on federal lands and install additional shipping containers,” the lawsuit states. “Arizona stands ready to cooperate with the federal government on construction of a border wall and always has been,” the letter from Ducey’s office said.

☆ Biden administration warns of potential influx of migrants immediately after Title 42 ends
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Administration officials have been bracing for an influx of migrants when a public health authority, known as Title 42, ends next week. In September, Venezuelans, Cubans and Nicaraguans accounted for almost half of encounters along the US southern border, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas underscored the whole of government approach in a statement, noting that mass movement of people around the globe has posed a uniquely difficult challenge. In October, the administration rolled out a humanitarian parole program geared toward Venezuelans to encourage them to apply for entry into the United States instead of crossing unlawfully. But the calculus of migrants may change when Title 42 lifts, the memo says.

China's health authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment on infections among medical staff. A few nurses at the fever clinic were tested positive, there aren’t any special protective measures for hospital staff and I believe many of us will soon get infected," Li added. A post on the Weibo social media platform recounted a recent experience at the emergency ward at Beijing Hospital. "Those who have not been to the emergency department of Beijing Hospital don't know what a mess it has become," wrote a Weibo user called Moshang. Beijing Hospital did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Schumer, a New York Democrat who has long pressed the administration to terminate Title 42, is far from alone. Since March 2020, when the authority was invoked, border officials have turned away migrants at the US-Mexico border more than two million times. But just days away from the anticipated end of Title 42, plans are still being sorted out. The Biden administration is also asking Congress for more than $3 billion as it prepares for the end of Title 42, according to a source familiar with the ask. It is not specific to the end of Title 42, the source said.

“The States will suffer irreparable harm absent a stay from the termination of Title 42 for the reasons discussed in the motion,” the states argue in the filing, citing a separate ruling that blocked the end of Title 42 earlier this year. Since March 2020, when the authority was invoked, border officials have turned away migrants at the US-Mexico border more than 2 million times. “Over the weekend, the El Paso Sector experienced a major surge in illegal crossings, with a 3-day average of 2,460 daily encounters, primarily through the downtown area of El Paso. The Biden administration is asking Congress for more than $3 billion as it prepares for the end of the Trump-era border policy later this month, according to a source familiar with the ask. It is not specific to the end of Title 42, the source said.

☆ El Paso faced a ‘major surge in illegal crossings’ over the weekend, senior border official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —More than 2,400 migrants crossed into the United States near El Paso, Texas, daily over the weekend, according to a senior Border Patrol official, marking what he described as a “major surge in illegal crossings” in the region. “Over the weekend, the El Paso Sector experienced a major surge in illegal crossings, with a 3-day average of 2,460 daily encounters, primarily through the downtown area of El Paso. We will continue to keep the public informed as the situation evolves,” said acting Chief Patrol Agent Peter Jaquez of the El Paso Sector in a tweet. El Paso city has been monitoring the situation and is in ongoing discussions with federal, state and local partners, according to Laura Cruz Acosta, strategic communications director for the city. The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it had deployed additional agents to El Paso amid the surge, claiming that criminal smuggling organizations are behind the influx.

[1/2] A woman holds a small bottle labelled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado RuvicPARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - France's Haute Autorite de Sante public health body advised the government not to use Valneva's (VLS.PA) VLA2001 COVID-19 vaccine as part of its wider vaccination strategy, although two rival products should be included as booster shots. The snub caused Valneva's shares to fall, with Valneva down by around 1% during the late morning trading session in Paris. "However, the HAS does not include the use of Valneva's VLA2001 vaccine in the current primary vaccination strategy", it added. Reporting by Jean-Stephane Brosse and Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Economists said the reading pointed to elevated labor costs and inflation staying high, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep raising rates. "Slower rate hikes have been the trend globally of late, but the Fed remains a wild card. Overall, it's a fickle, anxious market ahead of next week’s Fed meeting," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Convera in Washington. Many in the market believe inflation is moderating and bond yields have peaked, allowing the Fed and other central banks to begin slowing rate hikes when policy-makers meet next week. Gold prices rose, helped by a retreat in the dollar and Treasury yields, as investors anticipate the projection of slower rate hikes at the Fed's meeting on Dec. 13-14.

☆ Dollar eases against major currencies amid rate, economic concerns; yuan strengthens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Banknotes of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationNEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar weakened slightly against major currencies on Wednesday amid concerns that rising interest rates could push the U.S. economy into recession, while an easing of China's COVID restrictions boosted the yuan. A U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was last down 0.2%. "Surging interest rates have the primary driver for dollar strength over the last year." The dollar was last down 0.1% against the offshore Chinese yuan .

☆ Stocks dip as growth fears offset China COVID shift
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Danilo Masoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Now, concerns over economic growth seem to be overtaking those over inflation," he added. The darkening economic outlook initially drove safe-haven demand for the U.S. dollar and longer-dated bonds but these moves partially reversed by early afternoon in Europe. In foreign exchange markets, the U.S. dollar reversed initial gains, as traders weighed up an uncertain economic outlook. The U.S. dollar index fell 0.35% to 105.18 after hitting earlier in the session a near one-week high, trending closer to the June 2022 low of 104.10 hit on Monday. The Canadian dollar was steady at 1.365 per dollar ahead of an expected rate hike from the Bank of Canada later on Wednesday.

"Now, concerns over economic growth seem to be overtaking those over inflation," he added. The darkening economic outlook drove fresh safe-haven demand for the U.S. dollar on Wednesday and longer-dated bonds extended their gains, while oil eased after a sharp fall on Tuesday. The Australian dollar was broadly steady at $0.669 despite Australian third-quarter growth coming in a bit below forecasts. The Canadian dollar was at 1.3675 per dollar ahead of an expected rate hike from the Bank of Canada later on Wednesday. The U.S. dollar index rose 0.1% to 105.6, further above the June 2022 low of 104.1 hit on Monday.

[1/2] Banknotes of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 29, 2022. Yet the euro was flat against the dollar at $1.048, after falling 0.2% in the previous session. In Asia, China's yuan firmed as the government announced measures that marked a sharp change to its tough, three-year-old zero-COVID policy that has battered its economy and sparked historic protests. "Anticipation of further easing of measures in China should continue to favour RMB (and) RMB-linked assets." "China's reopening will be bumpy in coming months and economic data will likely get worse before it gets better."

☆ Oil steady as China revival hopes offset Russia uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Trixie Sher Li Yap | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brent crude futures edged up 3 cents, or 0.04%, to $79.38 a barrel by 0717 GMT, after they fell below $80 for the second time in 2022 during the previous trading session. U.S. crude futures mostly traded sideways, and were down 9 cents or 0.12% to $74.16 a barrel. "China has (been) rapidly eased COVID-19 restrictions, which may boost demand," markets analyst Leon Li at CMC Markets said in a note. The reopening could see a 1% boost to global oil demand, ANZ said in a client note. Oil prices have dropped by more than 1% for three straight sessions, giving up most of their gains for the year.

☆ Stocks sputter as growth fears deepen despite China COVID shift
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.2% and Japan's Nikkei (.N225) fell 0.7%. The growth fears rallied longer-dated bonds and helped the safe-haven U.S. dollar to pause its recent retreat. That is more than 80 bps below the two-year yield as investors reckon on high rates hurting growth. The Australian dollar was broadly steady at $0.6680 despite Australian third-quarter growth coming in a bit below forecasts. The U.S. dollar index sat at 105.5.

☆ Dollar in demand as growth outlook darkens, yuan up as China eases curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Against the dollar, sterling was last 0.03% lower at $1.2131, after falling 0.4% overnight. It's part of our baseline," said Joseph Capurso, head of international and sustainable economics at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index edged 0.07% higher to 105.62. The onshore yuan was last more than 0.2% higher at 6.9771 per dollar. "Anticipation of further easing of measures in China should continue to favor RMB (and) RMB-linked assets."

☆ Dollar falls against major currencies amid economy concerns; yuan strengthens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies on Wednesday amid concerns that rising interest rates could push the U.S. economy into recession, while a loosening of China's COVID restrictions boosted the yuan. The Peruvian sol fell as the country's Congress voted to oust President Pedro Castillo in an impeachment trial on Wednesday. At its session low, the sol fell more than 2% against the dollar. A U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was last down 0.4%. "Surging interest rates have been the primary driver for dollar strength over the last year."

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