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Bloomberg

Singapore Classes Go Online; Taipei Closes Schools: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) — Singapore will move to home-based learning and Taipei is closing schools as they race to head off surging infections after earlier winning plaudits as Covid-19 success stories.Thailand reported a record 9,635 new cases, the majority from the country’s prisons, while Indonesia is gearing up for the start of a private vaccination program. The country earlier paused the use of a specific batch of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine as its regulator investigates side effects.The U.S. rolling one-week average of new virus cases fell to the lowest level since June. Any mandates in the U.S. to require people to be vaccinated against Covid-19 will be set at the local level by companies and institutions such as colleges, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases pass 162.7 million; deaths exceed 3.37 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 1.45 billion doses have been givenCovid is airborne, scientists say. Now authorities think so, tooVaccine Shortfall Leaves Nations Vulnerable as Covid SpreadsTaiwan Races to Avert Lockdown, Save Covid Success StoryCDC’s big mask change went from science to secret to surpriseThere’s no hidden U.S. vaccine stockpile ready to send abroadSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on cases and deaths.EU to Back Expansion of Vaccine Output Capacity in Africa, FT Says (12:14 p.m. HK)The European Union will support an expansion of vaccine production in Africa with President Ursula von der Leyen to back proposals for strategic vaccine production hubs, the Financial Times reported, citing unidentified European officials.Contributions could include both direct EU aid as well as funding from the European Investment Bank and national development agencies, the FT said. The EU also wants to help build up regulatory capacity, including the establishment of the African Medicines Agency.Indonesia to Start Covid-19 Private Vaccinations on May 18 (12:09 p.m. HK)Indonesia’s private vaccination program will start with 484,400 doses of Sinopharm vaccines, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, chairman on the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry known as Kadin, said by text message Monday.The first phase will prioritize the manufacturing sector in 20 sites across the greater Jakarta area with Kadin estimating 20-26 million workers will be inoculated.Earlier, the country suspended use of a certain batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine pending an investigation into its side effects as a precautionary measure to test its toxicity and sterility.China Is Vaccinating Almost 14 Million People a Day Amid Flareup (11 a.m. HK)China is vaccinating almost 14 million people a day, a record for the nation as worries grow amid a Covid-19 flareup.The ramp up in shots comes just days after China detected its first new cluster in months with a smattering of cases in the eastern province of Anhui and northeastern region of Liaoning. Videos on social media showed citizens rushing to get their vaccines, with long queues at inoculation sites despite heavy rainfall.Many nations in Asia, China included, are struggling to combat vaccine hesitation. Some people have been wooed into a sense of complacency due to the region’s early success in containing the virus while others simply don’t trust the safety or efficacy of the vaccines available.Taipei City to Close Schools After Surge in Local Cases (10:54 a.m. HK)Taipei City will close high schools, elementary schools and kindergartens for two weeks until May 28 to prevent the pandemic from spreading, Mayor Ko Wen-je said at an online briefing.New Taipei City will also close schools, Mayor Hou Yu-ih said at a separate briefing.Weakened Thai Economy Faces Uphill Battle Amid Virus Surge (10:41 a.m. HK)Thailand’s economic contraction continued into the start of year, setting the…