New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he is considering cash incentives to lure people to get vaccinated. Starting today, the state is allowing people to sit at indoor bars, eat at buffets and dance at weddings.

Singapore will reduce entry approvals for foreign workers planning to enter the country in the coming weeks. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended a state of emergency that covers Tokyo and expanded it to two more regions hit by rising virus cases.

Spain backed a U.S. proposal to waive intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines, complicating efforts by the European Union to form a common stance. Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE have asked U.S. regulators for full approval of their vaccine.

Key Developments

• Global Tracker: Cases total 156.1 million; deaths exceed 3.25 million
• Vaccine Tracker: More than 1.25 billion doses have been given
• Vaccine urgency means billions need shots now, not waivers later
• Covid kills pregnant and post-partum Brazilians, leaving orphans
• WTO wades into vaccine feud as Merkel, pharma balk at Biden plan
• Waive pharma’s vaccine rights? What that would mean: QuickTake

Subscribe 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.

Preventative Care Makes Rebound (11:03 a.m. NY)

Health insurer Cigna Corp. said the amount of preventive care received by its members during the first quarter rose to match levels seen before the pandemic began. Mammographies, colonoscopies, childhood vaccinations, and cervical cancer screenings all rebounded, Cigna Chief Executive Officer David Cordani said in a call with analysts. “That’s a tremendous result,” he said.

Vietnam Woman Dies After Astra Shot (10:48 a.m. NY)

A 35-year-old female medical worker in Vietnam died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the health ministry’s publication Suc Khoe Doi Song newspaper. The cause of death was determined to be anaphylaxis on the basis of non-steroidal allergy.

Singapore Limits Foreign Workers (10:17 a.m. NY)

Singapore will reduce entry approvals for foreign workers planning to enter the country in the coming weeks, and delay the arrivals of many of those already approved to enter, the government said Friday.

The move, aimed at reducing imported cases of Covid-19, comes hours before Singapore is set to launch a three-week crackdown that will limit the size of group gatherings to five. The government earlier this week had already extended travel quarantine to 21 days from the current 14, except for travelers from lower risk places.

Iceland Eases Curbs on Gatherings (9:21 a.m. N.Y.)

Iceland announced the easing of restrictions, effective May 10th. The cap on gatherings will be increased to 50 people from 20.

France Expands Quarantine List (9:19 a.m. N.Y.)

France has extended compulsory quarantine rules to include people coming from seven additional countries, including Turkey, AFP reports, citing the government.

N.J. Considers Cash Incentives (9:19 a.m. N.Y.)

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he is considering cash incentives to lure people to get vaccinated.

“All things are on the table,” Murphy said of a potential cash lure. The state already is running a “Shot and a Beer” program, with free beverages at New Jersey breweries for people who can show proof of vaccine during May.

Starting today, the state is allowing people to sit at indoor bars, eat at buffets and dance at weddings, amid other easing measures.

Xi Says Olympics Will Go Ahead (9:10 a.m. N.Y.)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told the International Olympic Committee he’s certain the 2022 Winter Olympics will be held as planned, a show of confidence that comes as the rest of the world struggles to contain the pandemic.

Bangkok Extends Curbs to May 17 (7:47 a.m.)

Thailand’s capital extended a series of measures aimed at stalling the spread of Covid-19 by more than a week, through May 17, after a reporting a daily record of new cases.

Extra Hands for Lonza (7:35 a.m. N.Y.)

The Swiss federal government has identified about 25 staffers with the requisite know-how to help Lonza boost output of Moderna’s vaccines. These people have a background in biochemistry, chemistry or pharmaceuticals and would be seconded to Lonza’s site in Visp for a six-month period.

With vaccine-makers under pressure to increase output, Lonza is also in touch with institutions of higher education in Zurich and Lausanne to see if they too might have people available, the government said in a statement.

Ghana Gets More Covax Shots (7:21 a.m. N.Y.)

Ghana has become the first country to get a second delivery of vaccines from the World Health Organization-backed Covax facility after India, which manufactures the shots, halted exports.

The batch of 350,000 AstraZeneca Plc vaccines made by the Serum Institute of India arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo Friday.

Phuket Ready for July Tourists (7:06 a.m. N.Y.)

Thailand is sticking to its reopening plan for its resort island of Phuket even as the country struggles to contain its worst outbreak since the pandemic began amid slow vaccinations.

Pfizer Seeks Full U.S. Approval (6:45 a.m. N.Y.)

Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE have asked U.S. regulators for full approval of their Covid-19 vaccine, a milestone in their effort to make the shot a sustainable revenue source that goes well beyond its current standing as an emergency product.

On Friday, the companies became the first vaccine makers to submit a biologics license application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Their vaccine is one of three -- along with shots made by Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson -- that hold an emergency use authorization in the U.S., a designation that can be revoked at any time and lasts only as long as the state of emergency itself.

Israel Mulls Argentina Ban (6:38 a.m. N.Y.)

Israel is considering adding Argentina to a list of countries considered to be dangerous for travel, due to the high level of morbidity in the country. Unless the level improves, Argentina will be added to the list on May 17, the Health Ministry said.

Travel to these countries, which currently includes Ukraine, Ethiopia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Mexico, and Turkey, is not permitted, unless special permission is received, and people returning from them must quarantine, even if they have been vaccinated.

Alternative Shot for U.K. Under-40s (6:32 a.m. N.Y.)

The U.K. will offer under-40s an alternative to the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine because of concerns about very rare blood clots that so far appear to be more common in younger people.

The decision, announced Friday, follows a recommendation by U.K. scientific advisory panel the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The precautionary measure comes as authorities prepare to open up the inoculation program to people under 40, after those over 40 were invited to book their first shots in the last week.

Europe Sotrovimab Review (6:28 a.m. N.Y.)

The European Medicines Agency has on Friday started the rolling review of sotrovimab (VIR-7831), a monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of Covid-19, the EU’s executive arm said in a statement on Friday. The rolling review launched by EMA will assess sotrovimab’s effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death, as well as its safety and quality.

A rolling review is quicker than a regular evaluation as data is reviewed as it comes in. Should the EU’s drugs regulators recommend authorizing the treatment at the end of its review, the European Commission vowed to move swiftly to authorize it.

South African Orders on Track (6:13 a.m. N.Y.)

South Africa is on track to receive enough vaccines to cover about two-thirds of the population by the end of the year, made up of both Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson doses.

The country has secured orders for 52.6 million shots, including 31.2 million of the single-dose J&J version, President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament on Thursday. They are due to be delivered gradually over the rest of the year, although about half won’t arrive until after September, he said.

Spain Backs IP Waivers (5:13 p.m. HK)

Spain is backing a U.S. proposal to waive intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines, setting the stage for a tense debate when European Union leaders meet Friday evening to discuss their response to the pandemic.

“Intellectual property cannot be an obstacle to ending Covid-19 and to ensuring equitable and universal access to vaccines,” the Spanish government said in an informal policy paper.

Japan Extends Virus Emergency (5:13 p.m. HK)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended a state of emergency that covers Tokyo and expanded it to two more regions hit by rising virus cases, in an attempt to stem infections ahead of the capital’s hosting of the Olympics in less than three months.

“The movement of people in Osaka and Tokyo has fallen considerably and the measures are beginning to have an effect,” Suga told his virus task force. “However, the number of new infections is high, particularly in the major cities and there is a shortage of hospital beds.”

German Outlook ‘Very Positive’ (4:31 p.m. HK)

The head of Germany’s RKI public-health institute said he’s optimistic that Europe’s biggest economy will soon have the pandemic under control.

“The current trend of falling infections, fewer Covid-19 patients in intensive-care units and increasing vaccinations is very positive,” RKI President Lothar Wieler said at a news conference in Berlin.

“We’ve achieved a lot together, and as long as we don’t take too many steps at once, we’ll ensure that we don’t lose even more people or have more severe cases and complications in the final stretch,” he added.

Malaysia Cases Jump (4:29 p.m. HK)

Malaysia reported 4,498 new Covid cases on Friday, the biggest number since Feb. 4. The spike came days after the country
suspended a domestic travel bubble and tightened movement curbs in capital Kuala Lumpur and in Selangor, its richest state, to
contain a surge in infections. Selangor contributed the most to Friday’s tally with 1,424 infections, followed by Kuala Lumpur
at 436 cases.

EFPIA Warns of Fake Shots (4:04 p.m. HK)

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations says that President Joe Biden’s support for international talks on waiving patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines could result in a fall in quality if raw materials are diverted away from approved production facilities.

“If you suddenly have a diversion towards other manufacturing sites that maybe are less efficient less productive means that the quality is less good maybe you suddenly have counterfeits,” Nathalie Moll, EFPIA’s director general, said on Bloomberg Television.

Hong Kong Loosens Quarantine (3:39 p.m. HK)

Hong Kong will ease quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound travelers and residents who are close contacts of people infected with Covid-19, loosening one of the world’s strictest policies amid efforts to encourage inoculation.

Fully vaccinated people coming from a handful of low-risk countries including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore will have their mandatory hotel quarantine shortened from 14 to seven days. They will be required to self-monitor for an additional week. The changes will take effect on May 12.

— With assistance by Ian Fisher, Isabel Reynolds, Prim Chuwiruch, Joe Mayes, Chris Reiter, Ben Priechenfried, Nikos Chrysoloras, Alisa Odenheimer, Ekow Dontoh, Catherine Bosley, Elise Young, Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir, James Regan, and Nguyen Kieu Giang