A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here.
London (CNN Business)New variants of Covid-19 sweeping the world aren't just throwing a wrench in government vaccination plans and efforts to stay ahead of the pandemic. They're also complicating the economic recovery, as leaders acknowledge they can't commit to easing restrictions later this year without a clearer picture of where infections are headed.
What's happening: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the country's lockdown would be extended to Mar. 7, noting that "three aggressive mutations" have changed the calculus. Merkel said the country needs to "prepare for new variants to become dominant," and warned that "mutations could destroy the vaccine's success."
Concerns about variants are global. In the United Kingdom, which is trying to combat a more transmissible coronavirus strain with an aggressive vaccination effort, government leaders are emphasizing that charting an exit route from lockdowns remains extremely difficult.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the ability of British tourists to take vacations this year will depend in part on whether vaccines are effective against the variants.
"I'm afraid I can't give you a definitive will there or will there not be the opportunity to take holidays this next year, either at home or abroad," he told British broadcaster Sky News on Wednesday.
In the United States, more government leaders are loosening Covid-19 restrictions. Chicago officials said Wednesday that indoor service at bars, restaurants and events can expand capacity, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will allow major stadiums and arenas to reopen starting Feb. 23, with approval from the state's health department.
...
פוסטים אחרונים בבלוג
אנחנו בפייסבוק
הודעות חשובות
תודה רבה, מה דעתך לגבי לונג על אסיה - ניקיי או...
תודה רבה,
דוידיק היום, 19:50מה דעתך לגבי לונג על אסיה - ניקיי או האנג סנג?