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(Bloomberg) — South Korea Covid-19 infections increased by a record, although the mortality rate and number of severe cases remain relatively low in the Asian nation, where almost 90% of people have received two doses of vaccine.  

Police in Ontario began to clear out people who’ve been blocking the Ambassador Bridge between Canada with Detroit in a protest against Covid-19 restrictions. But freight traffic remains halted there. 

Japan will consider increasing its cap on arrivals into the nation, according to local media reports. China’s central government will give full support to Hong Kong as the city’s worsening outbreak strains health-care resources and threatens its Covid-Zero strategy. Hong Kong Chief Secretary John Lee met with mainland officials to ask for urgent pandemic support.

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Key Developments:

Virus Tracker: Cases near 410 million; deaths top 5.8 millionVaccine Tracker: More than 10.3 billion shots administeredWhy China is sticking with its Covid-zero strategy: QuickTakeThe era of pandemic restrictions is fast coming to an endMask guidelines around U.S. ease, bringing confusion and relief

Singapore Says Health System Holding Up (10 a.m. HK)

Singapore’s health minister Ong Ye Kung said that the nation’s healthcare system is still holding up despite coronavirus cases hitting five figures on certain days, according to media reports. The government’s coronavirus task force would hold a press conference “soon,” Ong said when asked about changes to Covid-19 measures.

The island nation received its first batch of Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral oral pill, Paxlovid, this week, Ong said on Saturday.

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S. Korea Cases Rise to Record (9:30 a.m. HK)

South Korea reported a record-high 56,431 new cases on Sunday in a seventh consecutive increase, 288 of which were severe. There were 36 deaths. 

The increase came as almost 90% of citizens had two shots of vaccine, with 57% having had a booster. A new limit on test kit purchases came into force on Sunday after prices tripled last week following government directions for people with mild symptoms to stay at home and test and treat themselves. 

Japan to Mull Lifting Border Entry Cap (8:20 a.m. HK)

Japan will consider gradually raising the entry limit on arrivals to 5,000 after it eases border controls for foreign workers and students next month, Japanese media reported, citing government officials.

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The details will be finalized as early as this week, and the trend of virus infections and public opinion will to taken into account, the Asahi newspaper cited authorities as saying. The easing of the curbs does not apply to foreign tourists, it said.  

Canada Police Push Back Protesters on Bridge (8:10 a.m. HK)

Police in Ontario began to slowly clear out people who’ve been blocking the Ambassador Bridge between Canada and Detroit in a protest against Covid-19 restrictions. But freight traffic remained halted there.

The operation began Saturday morning in Windsor, as lines of officers in yellow vests slowly advanced in rows, yelling warnings that protesters could face criminal charges if they continued to occupy roadways. 

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By evening, the protest was still going on, and police had pushed the demonstration only 500 yards from the original rally point at the foot of the bridge. But they sealed off side streets to keep more cars from coming in as they worked to clear Huron Church Road and restore bridge traffic. 

Austria Weighs Further Easing (10:56 a.m. NY)

Austria is expected to decide on further steps to ease coronavirus restrictions at a meeting on Wednesday, to take effect Feb. 19, according to local media.

“We have always said that we will only maintain restrictions for as long as absolutely necessary. Each of us wants back the freedoms we’ve been without for so long,” Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, according to Der Kurier newspaper.

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As of Saturday Austria’s retail sector is back on a 3G regime, which means anyone vaccinated, recently recovered from Covid or with a negative test can enter stores. Masks are still required in many indoor settings. Austria is still pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate, with authorities set to start imposing fines in March. Vienna saw another large protest Saturday against the mandate.

French Police Clear Protesters at Champs-Elysee (10:12 a.m. NY)

French police began removing demonstrators and towing away cars as they cracked down on attempts to blockade Paris by people inspired by Canada’s “freedom convoys.”

Despite the interception of convoys on the Paris ring road, several demonstrators avoided police controls and drove to the Champs-Elysees in the center of the capital to try to block traffic. Paris officers used tear gas to disperse them crowd, and they said in a tweet that tow trucks were removing vehicles. At least 14 people were detained.

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France banned the “convois de la liberte,” or freedom convoys, protesting the country’s Covid-19 vaccine pass. That bars unvaccinated people from most social activities, including going to restaurants and cultural spaces.

Turkey Giving Merck Pill to Covid Patients: NTV (8:47 a.m. NY)

Turkey is starting to distribute Merck & Co.’s antiviral pill, molnupiravir, to people over 65 who have tested positive for Covid-19, according to NTV television channel.

The medicine was approved by the ministry of health last week. Turkey has recorded 12.8 million Covid-19 infections and about 90,000 deaths. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently recovered after testing positive for the omicron variant.

Hong Kong Gets Beijing’s Help (8:24 a.m. NY)

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China’s central government will give full support to Hong Kong as the city’s worsening outbreak strains health-care resources and threatens its Covid-Zero strategy, Chief Secretary John Lee said after a meeting with mainland officials to ask for urgent pandemic support.

Hong Kong asked the mainland for help on several fronts, including for Chinese experts to help the city analyze virus strains, help build quarantine and isolation facilities, and supply tests kits and virus equipment to Hong Kong. The announcements came after Hong Kong reported a record 1,514 daily virus cases.

Hong Kong’s banks will suspend operations at one in every four local branches after a number of employees were infected, the South China Morning Post reported. HSBC Holdings Plc, Standard Chartered and Bank of China are among the lenders closing a total of 276 branches, the newspaper said.

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But Lee said the Hong Kong government has no plans for a city-wide lockdown.

China Gives 3 Billion Doses, Approves Pfizer Pill (7:45 a.m. NY)

China has given 3.04 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far, the government said. That’s almost 30% of the world total.

The tally came as the nation granted emergency approval for Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 pill, a sign of potentially opening up to foreign treatments for the virus. 

Paxlovid’s import registration was approved Friday, the National Medical Products Administration said. The Chinese regulator asked for further research results to be submitted in a timely manner.

It’s China’s first approval for a foreign Covid-19 drug. The mRNA Covid vaccine co-developed by Pfizer and BioNTech SE, for which China’s Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. secured rights for the Greater China region, has yet to be approved in China.

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Malaysia, Indonesia Infections Surge (6:55 a.m. NY)

Malaysia’s new coronavirus cases neared a level last seen in August, when the country was battling the peak of an outbreak of the delta variant. The nation reported 22,802 new infections Saturday, the most since Aug. 26.

The rising vaccination rate — nearly 80% of the population completed the regime and 56% of adults received booster shots — is keeping hospital admission rates manageable. The government has said it will avoid a repeat of last year’s lockdowns that pushed the economy into contraction for two quarters.

Neighboring Indonesia reported 55,209 new cases, the most since July.

U.K. Treasury Wants to End Free Tests: Guardian (6:10 a.m. NY)

The U.K. Treasury is pushing to end most free Covid testing as soon as next month, the Guardian reported, citing unidentified sources.

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The Treasury would like most so-called PCR testing for people with symptoms of the virus to stop possibly by the end of March, the newspaper said. This would exclude people in vulnerable categories or hospital settings, while people showing virus symptoms would receive either free lateral flow tests or no testing, according to the report.

Norway Ditches Most Restrictions (6 a.m. NY)

Norway removed the remaining virus restrictions because it considers their effects more damaging than higher infection rates. Norway joins neighbors Denmark and Sweden in making those changes, expecting the coronavirus to turn endemic.

“We are well protected, and aren’t served by pushing the pandemic out in time,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in Oslo. Face masks are no longer needed, and people no longer need to maintain a 1-meter (3-foot) distance or isolate after being infected, he said.

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