Archives of “COVID-19” category

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UK covid cases continue to accelerate, hit 15,810 in latest report

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Deaths still under control

Deaths still under control
UK covid cases hit a four-month high of 16,705 yesterday and remained elevated at 15,810 today. They have steadily increased from 3200 on June as the delta variant circulates.
This is still a long ways off from the +60K numbers in January but headed in the wrong direction.
Hospitalizations are also rising with 1485 people in hospital. Deaths yesterday were 18 which is far from the approximately 1300 peak in January. I suspect that’s what officials are focused on as younger people get the virus. Some require hospitalization but most can fight it off.
I still don’t think this derails the reopening but nearly 44m of the 56m adults in the UK have gotten at least one dose of the (mostly) Astra-Zeneca vaccine. Percentages are lower in London though and that’s worrisome. What mostly bothers me though is the potential for the delta variant to cause problems globally especially in places where MRNA vaccines aren’t available and in schools.
In Israel, the town of Binyamina, became the country’s first “red” location for several months, after the appearance of 122 active cases, reflecting a surge in lockdowns that has been identified around schools. A local report said that in two schools, there were nine fully-vaccinated teachers who contracted the virus.

US weekly EIA crude oil inventories -7614K vs -3500K expected

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Weekly EIA petroleum inventories for the week ending June 18, 2021:

US weekly EIA crude oil inventories
  • Prior was -7355K
  • Gasoline -2930K vs +1050K exp
  • Distillates +1754K vs +1000K exp
  • Refinery utilization -0.4% vs +0.5% exp
  • Cushing -1833K
API data released late yesterday:
  • Crude -7199K
  • Gasoline +959K
  • Distillates +992K
  • Cushing -2550K
The surprise in this report is the drawdown in gasoline inventories. The headline was foreshadowed by yesterday’s API numbers so it wasn’t a big surprise but gasoline tightening up points to strong driving demand.

EU, US to aspire to ending COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinate two-thirds of the world by end of next year

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Reuters reports, citing a draft document prepared for a summit between the EU and US for 15 June in Brussels

The document also says that both sides are to commit to lifting steel tariffs before 1 December and also avoid any further trade disputes. A bit of wishful thinking but we’ll see how things go on that part in the months ahead.
 
Adding to the headline, they are also to call for a new study into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely will not go down well with China again.

US report says theory that COVID-19 virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan is plausible

  
Analysis, COVID-19

The Wall Street Journal cite a report from May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

  • People familiar with the study said that it was prepared by Lawrence Livermore’s “Z Division,” which is its intelligence arm. Lawrence Livermore has considerable expertise on biological issues. Its assessment drew on genomic analysis of the SARS-COV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, they said.
The actual report remains secret. Which, of course, makes it impossible to assess.
Here is the link to the Journal piece, sure to be a source of contention given the politicisation of the origin question. Journal, of course, may be gated.
The Wall Street Journal cite a report from May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

UK says no one died from covid-19 yesterday

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Great news in the UK

What a wonderful headline.
Medicine and vaccines are an absolute marvel. The UK is getting closer to normal every day and aside from today’s blip, GBP has reflected that.
I expect more upside in the coming years in GBP as it emerges from the clouds of covid and Brexit.
More than 128,000 people in the UK have been killed by covid but the daily average over the past seven days has fallen to just 8.

A coronavirus ICYMI – China first lockdown since January – Guangdong / Guangzhou partial lockdown

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Guangzhou is a city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong

  • a partial lockdown has been imposed on Guangzhou
  • travel restrictions apply in Guangdong
  • mass testing is under way
  • lockdown in place in the worst-hit district of Guangzhou
  • residents of some otGuangzhou districts have been told to get tested and large-scale screening is also under way in Foshan and Shenzhen
  • Guangzhou officials have focused its Covid-19 vaccination programme on priority groups
Guangzhou is a city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong 

Germany reports 7,380 new coronavirus cases, 192 deaths in latest update today

  
Analysis, COVID-19

Total active cases fall further to ~120,000, the lowest since early March

Germany
Meanwhile, the 7-day incidence rate also declines further to 39.8 so that indicates that the spread of the virus is also continuing to fall at a modest pace. This should translate further into the daily figures above down the road.
For now, it looks like the daily case count should at least keep below 10,000 on average and that should see daily deaths also fall eventually.
Germany
In terms of medical capacity, there were 2,836 (-166) virus patients requiring intensive care as of yesterday with there being 3,327 (14%) intensive care beds still available.
 
Germany

Coronavirus – Australia’s second-largest state, Victoria, sent into a 7-day lockdown

  
Analysis, COVID-19

The whole of the state, not just capital city Melbourne (Australia’s 2nd largest city  by population) to enter lockdown.

  • this is lockup number 4 for Melbourne
  • from 11.59pm local time today
5 reasons to leave home in Victoria.
  • Food and Supplies
  • Authorised Work
  • Care and Caregiving
  • Exercise (for up to 2 hours and with 1 other person)
  • Getting vaccinated.
Victorian authorities have shown themselves once again to be the most incompetent in Australia at managing outbreaks. Federal authorities have a lot to answer for also.
Nore that coronavirus-related Federal government job/wage support has ceased. No safety net this time around for impacted workers (i.e. no pay).
  • note also that the vaccination rollout in Australia is at a snail’s pace, one of the slowest in the developed world.
Service industries will once again bear the brunt of the economic costs … business owners and employees.
The whole of the state, not just capital city Melbourne (Australia's 2nd largest city  by population) to enter lockdown.
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