Tracking the Covid-19 response

Here's the latest news from the global pandemic.  The 1920s roared after a pandemic, and the 2020s will try U.K. jobs market better than feared during November lockdown Yellen takes charge at Treasury with economic rebound weakening Tracking the Covid-19 response Every month, Bloomberg crunches the numbers for a snapshot of the best and worst places to be in the Covid-19 era. The Covid Resilience Ranking—now expanded to 11 moving indicators including cases, fatalities, vaccine distribution and people's freedom of movement—shows where the virus has been handled the most effectively, with the least amount of social and economic disruption. People are finally getting shots: more than 30 places among the 53 major economies ranked have started their inoculation campaigns, led by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, where as many as 40 doses per 100 people have been given out. Still, the biggest global vaccination campaign in living memory has yet to reach a point where it's causing meaningful shifts in the ranking. Top performers like New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia, with almost no local transmission and balmy weather, have not been hurt by the fact that they are among the minority of places where vaccines are still unavailable. People queue outside a Covid-19 mass vaccination center in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg Mexico, where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recently became infected with Covid-19, remains last-placed as fatalities reach a record high. The world's focus is now on how quickly vaccinations can change the picture. In Israel and the UAE, infections and deaths are still surging. There's much that's still unknown about how inoculations will play out in the real world. We know that vaccines at some point should cause hospitalizations and deaths to drop, but we don't know if they stop people from spreading the virus nor if the infection curve will flatten. An inflated sense of security from being vaccinated could cause people to take risks and gather in crowded indoor places, potentially blunting the shots' impact. Still, hopes are high that the vaccine rollout will herald a return to normal: the UAE is determined to host the Expo 2020 in October while Israel is already introducing immunity passports. February's Covid Resilience Ranking will show if—and by how much—those hopes can be realized. Stay tuned.—Rachel Chang Latest podcast What to Do About Schools President Joe Biden has vowed to reopen most U.S. schools in his first 100 days. But that could ignite clashes among teachers, their unions and parents over how to do that safely. Nic Querolo reports that the issue has been one of the toughest for policymakers. Get the episode here.   What you should read Online Sales Ignite in Regions Late to Revolution Covid-19 forced countries to upgrade infrastructure faster, unlocking growth. A Vaccine Struggle on Europe-Russia Front Line Eastern regions that are allied with Moscow appear closer to getting shots. New Zealand Won't Open Its Border to World Yet  Conservative take on arrivals; mass immunization won't begin until midyear. Germany Hunts for Strains Using Donated Tests Laboratories will test thousands of samples for virus mutations this week. China Factories in Overdrive; Exporters Unhappy Strong yuan eats at profits just as new Covid cases could revive labor crisis. Know someone else who would like this newsletter? Have them sign up here. Have any questions, concerns, or news tips on Covid-19 news? Get in touch or help us cover the story. Like this newsletter? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close. Follow Us Get the newsletter You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Coronavirus Daily newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022