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Edited: Jul 20, 2024
Number of people infected by Wuhan virus has shot up to 571!!! ONE half of China is affected!!!!!!!
Number of people infected by Wuhan virus has shot up to 571!!! ONE half of China is affected!!!!!!!
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Denmark abolishes all Corona measures
Danish parliament recently decided in Copenhagen that all Corona measures should be ended from October 1. There will therefore no longer be a mask requirement and the test regime will be abolished. The Danes will then no longer have to provide evidence of whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated, or whether they have tested positive or negative.
Copenhagen All Corona measures are being lifted in view of the increasing incidence figures in Denmark, reported RT Deutsch. Since the beginning of July this value has risen from 31 to 107,2 (as of August 8). At the same time, the upper limits of this Corona indicator has increased significantly.
At the same time, the incidence limits are increased significantly: In communities from 300 to 500 infected people within seven days, in the districts from 500 to 1000. However, the prerequisite is that an increasing number of Covid-19 patients does not overload the health care system.
Denmark’s SSI infectious diseases agency said it no longer relied on vaccination to achieve herd immunity in the country. Tyra Grove Krause, the SSI’s acting academic director, said a new wave of infections were expected after people return to work and school at the end of this summer, but it should not be cause for alarm. “It will be more reminiscent of the flu,” Krause said.
Overall, the current vaccination rate is just under 58,4 percent of fully vaccinated people in Denmark. In Germany, this value is only slightly lower at 54,5 percent (as of August 8) but vaccine advocates have been persistent in their fear-mongering and pressure on the unvaccinated.
Tyrolean lawyer Dr. Renate Holzeisen, meanwhile strongly recommended that all employers refrain from vaccination pressure or compulsory vaccination, because most of them were “obviously not even aware of the far-reaching legal consequences associated with it”.
The fact that the so-called Covid-19 vaccines, according to the official approval documents of the EMA and the European Commission were not developed and approved for the prevention of infection with the SARS-COV-2 virus, but solely to prevent a more severe course of the disease, were conditionally approved for this reason alone, Holzeisen underscored.
The official approval documents therefore show that these substances cannot interrupt the chain of infection because the people treated with them can become infected and thus be infectious. Practice also proves that people who are completely “vaccinated” become infected with the virus and even have the same viral load as “unvaccinated people” as the CDC, among others, has admitted. It is therefore clear that any Covid-19 “compulsory vaccination” actually lacks any justification.
All pressure, including moral pressure (alleged act of solidarity with one’s neighbor) is therefore illegal in terms of criminal and liability law based on the official approval documents.
“As a lawyer advising on corporate law, I strongly recommend that every employer stay away from Covid-19 vaccination pressure or compulsory vaccination, because most of them are obviously not even aware of the far-reaching legal consequences associated with it,” she said.
https://freewestmedia.com/2021/08/09/denmark-abolishes-all-corona-measures/
Covid Cases Top 200 Million Worldwide, 68% Increase Since June
Paris: The number of Covid-19 infections recorded worldwide passed 200 million on Thursday, an AFP count showed, as China pledged to provide two billion vaccine doses this year to combat surging infections caused by the Delta variant.
The more infectious strain is driving a resurgence in the pandemic, especially in the Asia-Pacific region where Thailand, Indonesia and Japan continued to see new records and the city of Melbourne entered yet another lockdown.
The number of daily new cases globally has jumped 68 percent since mid-June, AFP's tally shows.
But as more of the world gets vaccinated -- particularly in wealthy countries -- deaths have risen at a slower rate, up 20 percent since July, the data show.
China "will strive to deliver two billion doses of vaccines to the world" this year and pledges $100 million (85 million euros) to the Covax system for distributing jabs to the poorest countries, President Xi Jinping said in remarks reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
Records fall
After months in which Beijing could boast of its success in containing infections, authorities there are again battling a rise in cases -- including in Wuhan, the city of 11 million people where the first mass Covid-19 outbreak occurred.
In Thailand, new cases hit 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday -- and then again on Thursday.
Overwhelmed mortuaries are renting refrigerated containers to store bodies, while medical and other frontline workers are exhausted.
"We're almost at our limits," forensic scientist Thanitchet Khetkham told AFP.
"I've seen our personnel faint quite a few times lately so fatigue is definitely starting to set in."
Indonesia's total Covid death count passed 100,000 on Wednesday after it recorded 1,739 of the 10,245 fatalities registered worldwide -- taking the global count past 4.25 million.
Tokyo on Thursday reported a new record number of cases at 5,042, just three days before the end of the Olympics, forcing the Japanese government to extend anti-virus restrictions to eight more departments.
Not happy to be here
In Australia, almost two-thirds of the 25 million population were in lockdown on Thursday.
A little more than a week after Melbourne's last lockdown ended, Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said he had "no choice" but to once again lock down the city and the rest of the state.
"None of us are happy to be here, none of us," he said, citing the danger posed by eight new "mystery" cases, the origins of which had yet to be traced.
Around 2,000 protesters took to the streets chanting "no more lockdown", with police making arrests and using pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
Protesters were out again in Paris too, as the country's top constitutional body approved President Emmanuel Macron's controversial health pass that will restrict access to bars, eateries and inter-city trains to those who have been jabbed or tested.
"All this undermines fundamental freedoms... Freedom is, first of all, the choice to be vaccinated or not," said Marie Jose Libeiro, 48.
"We are falling into an authoritarian state."
But the Constitutional Court said the restrictions, as well as compulsory vaccination for health workers, represented a "balanced trade-off" between public health concerns and personal freedom.
And in French-speaking Quebec, the government said it too will introduce a vaccine passport, the first in Canada, to counter the Delta variant.
"People who have made the effort to get their two doses should be able to live a semi-normal life," provincial premier Francois Legault told a press conference.
Staying alive
Living a life at all was at the heart of the message from the head of the African Union's health watchdog.
John Nkengasong revealed on Thursday that he was battling Covid-19 but had survived the worst thanks to his jabs, as he urged the continent to fight vaccine hesitancy.
Experts worry that reluctance to take the vaccine, stemming from public scepticism over foreign-procured jabs and fear of side effects, may prolong the pandemic among Africa's 1.3 billion people.
Africa also posted a new record with 6,400 deaths in the week to August 1, the continent's most in the pandemic, the World Health Organization said.
Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control, said he had contracted the infection last week despite being fully vaccinated.
"The severity of the attack is so unbearable. The headaches, fever," the Cameroonian virologist told an online press briefing.
But he added that without his jabs, "I wouldn't be here".
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/covid-19-cases-cross-200-million-worldwide-report-2503799
Netizens vent anger as cases hit 5-figure, blaming govt for spike
PETALING JAYA: As daily Covid-19 cases breached the 11,000 mark today, social media users were quick to react to the news on Twitter.
“WTF 11K” has been trending in the country with people sharing images (memes), mainly complaining about the extended lockdowns and blaming the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government, in particular, the minister of international trade and industry (Miti) Mohamed Azmin Ali.
One user @millenialrabbit said: “WTF 11K??! I stayed at home since the first day and yet the cases still keep increasing till 11K?! What is going on now?? What’s the function of staying at home if the cases are still growing in numbers?”
Another said: “Wow, congratulations Malaysia! We finally reached 10K at last! i mean,WTF 11K!
I just have one thing to say… lockdown is bulls*it. Not to say it has reduced cases, in fact it has spiked crazily! #KerajaaanGagal #KerajaanBodoh #KerajaanPembunuh #MalaysiaBoleh.”
Azmin has been at the receiving end of most of the backlash. His ministry oversees the approvals for factories and businesses to operate during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, factory and workplace clusters have been on the rise contributing to higher community transmissions, especially in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Speaking on the issue, one user @_anarafiq suggested for EMCOs at all factories that are open for 14 to 21 days.
“All workers must stay at the factory. Bosses need to provide food and temporary accommodation on site, such as cabins for workers.
“Since they want profits, then they need to spend some money as cost.”
He said one of the criteria for the Miti approval letter for factories to operate during this time should therefore be temporary and proper workers accommodation.
“Or else, they cannot get the letter and should not be allowed to operate. Don’t mix the workers with others in the community.”
Another netizen said it seemed that the total lockdown had not produced any result, calling it “pointless”.
On a similar note, another said: “So now, tell me what’s the function of a movement control order (MCO) if the cases are not decreasing??? Wtf 11k.”
The health ministry reported a record high 11,079 Covid-19 cases and 125 deaths in the past 24 hours.
The previous record high of infections was 9,353 on July 10.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/07/13/netizens-vent-anger-as-cases-hit-5-figure-blaming-govt-for-spike/
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(21)00069-0/fulltext
A study on using Ivermectin to fight Covid-19 has passed peer review and is expected to be published soon:
Now this is what I call transparency. Not brushing everything aside and simply saying there is no link whatsoever between getting vaccinated and suffering adverse effects/possibly dying.
https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007477852
There were no deaths associated with adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine made by U.S.-based Moderna after about 190,000 doses had been administered by June 4, the health ministry has announced.
There were also no cases of anaphylaxis, an acute allergic reaction, as defined by international standards during vaccinations administered up through May 30, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry reported to an expert panel on Wednesday.
It was the first time the ministry had released information on adverse reactions to the Moderna vaccine.
The ministry also reported 141 deaths among men and women ranging from those in their 30s to over 99 who had been inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine between May 17 and June 4. In 84 of those cases, it was found impossible to assess whether there was a causal link between their death and the vaccine, while possible causal links were under assessment for the remaining 57.
As of June 4, approximately 17 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been administered, and the total number of deaths had reached 196.
A total of 169 cases of anaphylaxis had been confirmed as of May 30, equivalent to 13 cases per 1 million doses of the vaccine.
Malaysia to enter 'total lockdown' from Jun 1 to Jun 14 as daily number of COVID-19 cases hits new record
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will close all economic and social sectors by implementing a "total lockdown” throughout the country.
The first phase of the lockdown will last from Jun 1 to Jun 14. This move was announced in a media statement posted on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Facebook page on Friday (May 28) night.
Only essential economic and service sectors listed by the National Security Council will be allowed to operate during Phase 1 of the lockdown, said the statement issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
“This decision was made after taking into account the current situation of COVID-19 transmission in Malaysia with daily case numbers exceeding 8,000 and active cases exceeding 70,000,” the statement read.
More than 2,550 people in Malaysia have died from the disease.
The emergence of more virulent COVID-19 variants also influenced the National Security Council's decision to implement the lockdown.
With the sharp rise in the daily number of COVID-19 cases, hospitals' capacities to treat patients throughout the country are "becoming more limited", the statement added.
If the phase 1 total lockdown is successful in reducing daily COVID-19 cases, the government will implement a four-week phase 2 lockdown by allowing the reopening of a few economic sectors that do not involve large gatherings.
Phase 2 lockdown will last four weeks.
“Once the phase 2 lockdown ends, the next step is phase 3, which is implementing a movement control order (MCO) similar to the current one in effect, where social activities are not allowed and nearly all economic sectors are allowed to operate subject to strict standard operating procedures and limited physical presence at workplaces,” the PMO said.
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-total-lockdown-jun-1-14-muhyiddin-covid-19-cases-record-14905394
HAHAHAHA UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!! CAKE LENG PRIESTS PRAY FOR MERCY FROM COVID GODDESS!!!!!
Hindu priests at an Indian temple are saying daily prayers to two coronavirus goddesses in an effort to tame the pandemic as the country battles a new infection surge.
Two “Corona Devi” idols have been set up in the southern city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu state, badly hit in an outbreak that has killed 100,000 people nationwide in the past four weeks.
India on Thursday posted 211,298 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, while deaths from COVID-19 rose by 3,847.
The South Asian country’s overall caseload is now at 27.37 million, while total fatalities are at 315,235, according to health ministry data.
The Kamatchipuri Adhinam temple is closed to worshippers because of Coimbatore’s high infection rates but priests are paying tribute in front of the goddesses, one made of sandalwood and the other from stone.
They leave food and other offerings, chant prayers urging an end to the pandemic and bathe the idols in turmeric water and milk.
“We have had similar temples for smallpox, chickenpox and plague in the past,” said temple manager Anandbharathi K.
“We are worshipping the virus in the form of a goddess and praying to her every day to reduce the impacts of this disease,” he added.
While case numbers are easing in much of India, the country of 1.3 billion people has been shocked by the severity of the latest wave of the pandemic, which overwhelmed hospitals and led to critical shortages of oxygen and medicines.
“Even doctors are unable to deal with the enormity of the situation. So we turn to faith and God as a last resort,” Anandbharathi said.
The priests plan to continue their prayers to the “Corona Devi” idols for another seven weeks.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/27/corona-devi-indian-priests-pray-for-mercy-from-covid-goddess
Jialat, National Taiwan University Hospital is collapsing under overwhelming patient load, sent out SOS liao!
台大院長也求救！病人太多已全面滿載、無法再收
北市聯醫工會昨天向社會發出求救信，今天換台大醫院院長吳明賢，也對社會發出求救信。吳明賢今天晚間在個人臉書以「Hospitals Need Help」為題發文指出，台大把小兒加護病房都改裝、收治成人，仍然不敷使用，但救護車卻持續把需要加護病房和插管的確診病人送來。
吳明賢晚間受訪表示，這波疫情病人實在太多！台大醫院已收治100多名確診病患，重症比率又高，收治高達20多名重症，全國最多，加護病房已經全部滿載，還得把兒童負壓加護病房改裝，用於收治成人患者。但改裝也需要時間，急診都還有病人在等，「真的不希望步上SARS後塵。」他呼籲指揮中心一定把全台灣的醫院都納入規畫，訂定病患收治相關辦法。
吳明賢信中表示，雖然救死扶傷是醫院的天職，但抗疫如作戰，在還沒凖備完訓練好狀況下，結果可想而知，他強調「照顧重症的醫護人力並非急就章就可上戰場！」文中強調，他身為戰場上的第一線指揮官，希望司令部能夠最快的時間定出辦法，友軍們也都能誠實互信同心共濟。
吳明賢也提醒，更重要的是，給醫院的資源或是補助，「不要像去年一樣七折八扣。」他引用拿破崙語錄「軍無糧則散」，醫院已經非常緊急，不能讓一線醫護赤手空拳，彈盡糧絕。
https://udn.com/news/story/122173/5487815?from=udn-catebreaknews_ch2
HOW ABOUT TRYING THIS ON THOSE WHO DIED FROM COVID-19?
Family buries body of man in cow dung pit to revive him in Chhattisgarh
The family members of the man buried his body in a cow dung pit in a bid to revive him in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district.
A body of a 37-year-old man was allegedly buried in a heap of cow dung by his family in a bid to revive him in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh.
The deceased, identified as Lakhanpur Mutki, was buried in a heap of cow dung for hours after he was struck by lightning. Mutki was rushed to a hospital but doctors declared him brought dead.
Due to Cyclone Tauktae, Surguja district witnessed heavy rains and lightning. Giving credence to their superstitious belief, the family members of the man buried his body in a cow dung pit.
The family members believed that if a dead person struck by lightning is buried completely in cow dung, they could be revived.
"Yesterday evening, a young man was killed due to lightning. His family members were trying to bring the young man back to life by burying him in a heap of cow-dung but he had already died," Dr Premsukh Kerketta said.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/family-dead-body-man-cow-dung-pit-chhattisgarh-1804629-2021-05-20
India's COVID tally passes 25 million; cyclone hampers response in western states
India's total COVID-19 caseload surged past 25 million on Tuesday as a powerful cyclone complicated the health crisis in the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, already among the hardest hit by a second wave of the pandemic.
COVID-19 tests were administered to 200,000 people evacuated from coastal districts of Gujarat before the cyclone struck late on Monday and efforts were being made to try to limit any spread of infections.
"Masks have been arranged for people shifted to shelter homes," said Sandip Sagale, a top official in Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat.
"Efforts are also made to maintain social distancing."
India's total tally of coronavirus cases now stands at 25.23 million, health ministry data showed, following 263,533 new infections over the past 24 hours, while fatalities rose by a record 4,329. The official total death toll is 278,719.
The government said about 98% of India's population of 1.3 billion remained susceptible to infections.
Only the United States has had more cases, or a worse single day death toll, when it lost 5,444 people on Feb. 12. But whereas the epidemic there peaked months ago, there is no certainty that India's infections have.
Though the official count shows new infections subsiding, there are fears that the new, highly infectious B.1.617 variant, first found in India, is out of control and that many cases are going unreported due to lack of testing.
Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, has suffered a 30% increase in infections since May 2, while the total number of vaccinations it administered last week was just 1.1 million - half the total of a month earlier.
The storm, which has killed at least 19 people and caused widespread devastation,has exacerbated efforts to tackle the pandemic in Gujarat,with vaccinations suspended and hospitals awaiting back-up generators to keep power running and additional oxygen supplies.
Vaccinations are likely to remain suspended at least until Wednesday, a government official said.
But Aayush Oak, a top official in Amreli, the district hardest hit by the cyclone, said preparations had paid off.
"We had already shifted COVID patients from areas closer to the coast to hospitals in other places three days back and did not need to shift a single patient more. There is no disruption of oxygen supply to any hospital," Oak said.
Sunaina Tomar, energy secretary in Gujarat state, said 81 hospitals designated for coronavirus patients had faced power supply disruption, along with 16 other hospitals, and 19 oxygen refilling plants.
"Power supply has been restored to 29 COVID hospitals, 12 other hospitals, and six oxygen units, and work to restore supply is going on at a war footing at other places," she said in a statement.
Gujarat's health secretary Jayanti Ravi said teams were working to ensure that roads remained clear for emergency medical requirements despite the damage caused by the cyclone.
'STRUGGLING' VACCINATION DRIVE
In neighbouring Maharashtra state, which was sideswiped by the cyclone on Monday, 1,000 coronavirus deaths were reported overnight - the worst toll nationwide. The infection rate there has soared 15% in the last two weeks, government data showed.
The pace of vaccinations in Maharashtra has fallen 30% since peaking in early April, data from the government's Co-WIN portal showed.
Since April 1, 269 doctors nationwide have died of COVID-19, 78 of them in the mostly rural state of Bihar, the Indian Medical Association said.
"The surge has been very devastating," its secretary-general, Jayesh Lele, told Reuters.
In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to more people than Brazil, rural areas have been severely hit, as healthcare systems have struggled to cope.
Incensed by scarce testing and tracing, a state court said on Monday the situation was turning to "God's mercy" and hurtling towards a third wave.
"If this is the state of affairs of five districts, one can guess where we are leading people of this state to, i.e. (a) third wave of the pandemic," said the Allahabad High Court.
Modi's popularity has fallen to 63%, its lowest since U.S. data intelligence firm Morning Consult began tracking it in 2019, amid the criticism of his government's handling of the pandemic.
Chandrakant Lahariya, a public policy and health systems expert, said in the Hindustan Times newspaper that India's vaccine policy urgently needed a reset.
"The political leadership should give a free hand to technical experts to decide and implement new strategies," he said.
India, the world's largest vaccine maker, halted exports a month ago after donating or selling more than 66 million doses, and government sources told Reuters it was unlikely to resume major exports of vaccines until at least October to prioritise domestic needs.
The Serum Institute, India's largest vaccine producer, said it would continue to scale up its production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and start exporting to other countries by the end of the year.
India is one of the countries likely to benefit from U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement on Monday that his administration would send at least 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad by the end of June.
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-tally-coronavirus-infections-crosses-25-million-2021-05-18/
India’s vaccine czar has left the country for the UK due to “unprecedented” threats
India’s Covid-19 situation is so dire that the rich are fleeing the country. And among them is vaccine czar Adar Poonawalla.
Ponawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII) that manufactures the AstraZeneca vaccine, has moved to the UK with his family for “an extended period of time,” according to an interview in The Times (paywall) today (May 1). He did so just as the UK put India on its “red list” and banned all travellers from the country.
Poonawalla said he made the move because there was a grave threat to his life in India.
These alleged threats likely come from the fact that India is yet to vaccinate a large majority of its population, and vaccines are in short supply. SII’s Covishield is the more common vaccine in the country, and Poonawalla has had to balance international contracts and domestic commitments in the past two months.
India’s central government had granted Poonawalla “Y” level security on April 29, which meant that two personal security officers would accompany him at all times, and an armed guard would keep a vigil at his home.
Earlier this month, as per his request, the Indian government had also given a “stressed” Poonawalla an advanced loan of Rs3,000 crore ($400 million) to ramp up production.
In a tweet on April 16, he also requested US president Joe Biden to lift the embargo on vaccine raw materials, making many believe that manufacturing of Covishield was delayed due to the issue. However, he later clarified that this embargo was only impacting the production of Covovax, the Indian brand of Novovax vaccine.
India recently “liberalised” its vaccine policy, allowing Poonawalla to sell Covishield directly to the states at a premium of Rs300 per dose (as against the central government price of Rs150). With this policy, Poonawalla can sell half of his stock directly to the states and private hospitals, which has led to a scramble for an already scarce vaccine supply.
But India’s calamitous second wave of Covid-19 was not a situation Poonawalla—or the Indian government—had anticipated. “I thought, ‘We’ve done our bit,’” Poonawalla told The Times. “We’d struggled through 2020 to get everything ready. I thought I could put my feet up and take a vacation, but it’s been the exact opposite. It’s been chaotic,” he said. Instead, he had to parachute himself and his family out of India—with all its devastating death tolls and crumbling healthcare infrastructure—and into the safe haven of a developed country.
But these alleged threats are not the only reason Poonawalla may be in the UK. Poonawalla also told The Times that he will be soon making an announcement for producing his vaccines overseas.
https://qz.com/india/2004105/serums-adar-poonawalla-has-left-india-amid-a-raging-pandemic/
https://www.facebook.com/sudhir.vadaketh/posts/10159195777625944
Desperate and determined diaspora scrambles to help India breathe
[SINGAPORE] Seema Devgan has all but abandoned her day job, as she and a loose collection of overseas volunteers scramble to locate desperately needed supplies for Covid-19 stricken family, friends and strangers in India.
From her apartment in Singapore, Ms Devgan spends hours each day fielding frantic appeals for help on Whatsapp, phoning suppliers and scouting for desperately needed drugs and oxygen.
"It's so difficult," the 47-year-old told AFP, briefly struggling to hold back tears in the face of the sheer enormity of the task. "We are going to lose so many people."
India's global diaspora has a long record of mobilising during times of crisis.
Temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches; regional and business associations; family groups and informal networks - they all spring into action when a typhoon or flood strikes.
But few disasters have been quite so testing as the current coronavirus outbreak engulfing the nation.
No matter how much money is raised, empty drug store shelves can't be magically refilled. Oxygen generators and concentrators have to be located, ordered and shipped before they can start saving lives. A shattered healthcare system cannot be rebuilt overnight.
"This is an unprecedented kind of a situation," lamented Ms Devgan, a Dutch national and entrepreneur who has lived in Singapore for the past two years.
"It's not those kinds of campaigns where you can just contribute and somebody on the ground will take care of it."
More at https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/desperate-and-determined-diaspora-scrambles-to-help-india-breathe
Shocking News: 3,000 Covid Patients In Yeendia Go Missing After Switching Off Their Phones
WTF......travel agency in Sri Lanka is offering package for India-Sri Lanka-Singapore route!
Incredible India!
COVID-19: Singapore to disallow entry for all long-term pass holders, short-term visitors with recent travel history to India
SINGAPORE: All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to India within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into Singapore from Apr 24, announced the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Apr 22).
This includes visitors who transit in India, and all who had obtained prior approval for entry into Singapore, he said.
India's COVID-19 situation has worsened in recent days, with daily records of new cases.
Noting that many of the new arrivals from India work in the construction, marine and process sectors and live in the dormitories, COVID-19 multi-ministry task force co-chair, Lawrence Wong, said on Thursday: “We know that this major move will have an impact on our construction, marine and process sectors. And many local SMEs and contractors will be badly impacted.
“The Government will be looking at providing additional support measures to help these companies.”
There is no evidence that the recent cases at the Westlite Woodlands Dormitory are linked to a new strain from India, said Mr Wong, who is also the Education Minister.
“Even if they were to serve out the stay-home notices, we know that that is never 100 per cent foolproof, and leaks can still happen,” he added.
“And if such a leak were to happen amongst new Indian arrivals working in these sectors, then a new strain may get leaked into the dormitory and worse, even recovered or vaccinated workers may get infected and then we may see new clusters emerging again in our dormitories.”
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-travel-history-to-india-cannot-enter-singapore-14672986
‘The system has collapsed’: India’s descent into Covid hell
Many falsely believed that the country had defeated Covid. Now hospitals are running out of oxygen and bodies are stacking up in morgues
Looking out over a sea of jostling, maskless faces gathered at a political rally in West Bengal on Saturday, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, proudly proclaimed that he had “never ever seen such huge crowds”. A mask was also noticeably absent from Modi’s face.
That same day, India registered a record-breaking 234,000 new coronavirus cases and 1,341 deaths – and the numbers have kept rising since.
The country has descended into a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. Almost 1.6 million cases have been registered in a week, bringing total cases to more than 15 million. In the space of just 12 days, the Covid positivity rate doubled to 17%, while in Delhi it hit 30%. Hospitals across the country have filled to capacity but this time it is predominately the young taking up the beds; in Delhi, 65% of cases are under 40 years old.
While the unprecedented spread of the virus has been partly blamed on a more contagious variant that has emerged in India, Modi’s government has also been accused of failures of political leadership from the top, with lax attitudes emulated by state and local leaders from all parties and even health officials across the country, which led many to falsely believe in recent months that India had defeated Covid.
“Leadership across the country did not adequately convey that this was an epidemic which had not gone away,” said K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.
“Victory was declared prematurely and that ebullient mood was communicated across the country, especially by politicians who wanted to get the economy going and wanted to get back to campaigning. And that gave the virus the chance to rise again.”
In West Bengal, where Modi’s government has refused to curtail the drawn-out state elections that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to win, Modi and his home minister, Amit Shah, continued their public meetings and roadshows into this week even as queues of ambulances lined up outside hospitals across India. On Saturday, the same day as Modi’s rally, the state registered 7,713 new cases – the highest since the pandemic began. Three candidates running in the election have died from the virus. By Sunday, #ModiMadeDisaster began trending on Twitter.
Doctors on the frontline broke down, speaking of the deluge of dying Covid patients they had been unable to treat due to a lack of beds and inadequate state and central government preparation.
Dr Amit Thadhani, director of Niramaya hospital in Mumbai, which is only treating Covid patients, said he had given warnings about a virulent second wave back in February but they had gone ignored. He said now his hospital was “completely full and if a patient gets discharged, the bed is filled within minutes”. Ten days ago, the hospital ran out of oxygen, but alternative supplies were found just in time.
“There are people lined up outside the hospital trying to get in and every day we are getting calls every 30 seconds from someone trying to find a bed,” said Thadhani. “Most of these calls are for patients who are critically ill and do need hospital care but there just isn’t enough capacity and so there is a lot of mortality happening. Everyone has been stretched to their limit.”
Thadhani said this time round the virus was “much more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. “Now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are coming in with very severe symptoms and there is a lot of mortality among young people,” he said.
The haunting blare of ambulance sirens continued to ring out across the capital almost non-stop. Inside Lok Nayak government hospital in Delhi, the largest Covid facility in the capital, overburdened facilities and a shortage of oxygen cylinders meant there was two to a bed, while outside patients waiting for beds gasped for air on stretchers and in ambulances, while sobbing relatives stood by their sides. Some sat with oxygen cylinders they had bought themselves out of desperation. Others died waiting in the hospital car park.
In Mumbai, which was the first city to bear the brunt of the second wave, Dr Jalil Parkar of Lilavati hospital said that “the whole healthcare system has collapsed and doctors are exhausted”.
“There is a shortage of beds, shortage of oxygen, shortage of drugs, shortage of vaccines, shorting of testing,” said Parkar.
“Even though we opened another wing for Covid, we still don’t have nearly enough beds, so we have had to put some patients in the corridors and we have turned the basement into a triage area for Covid patients. We have people waiting in ambulances and wheelchairs outside the hospital and we have to sometimes give them oxygen out there. What else can we do?”
Even those in the upper echelons of power struggled to find beds for their loved ones. Vijay Singh Kumar, the national minister for transport and a BJP MP in the state of Uttar Pradesh, resorted to Twitter with the plea: “Please help us, my brother needs a bed for corona treatment. Now beds are not being arranged in Ghaziabad.”
Announcing a six-day lockdown to prevent the complete collapse of the healthcare system, Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, did not mince his words. “The Covid situation in Delhi is grim,” he said on Monday. Over 99% of ICU beds in the capital were occupied that day and by Tuesday, several of Delhi’s top hospitals, all with hundreds of Covid patients, had declared oxygen emergencies, warning they had just hours of supplies left.
States such a Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh stand accused of covering up the true death toll from coronavirus, with the numbers of bodies stacking up in hospital morgues far outnumbering official fatality figures. Among the worst-hit cities in Uttar Pradesh was Lucknow, where 22-year-old Deepti Mistri – a mother of one who had no pre-existing health conditions – was among the city’s dead, after falling ill with Covid on 14 April.
Her uncle Saroj Kumar Pandey, an ambulance driver who raised her from childhood, said he had desperately tried to find her a hospital bed when, two days later, her oxygen level began to drop dangerously to below 50% but could not find anywhere that had room.
“I realised Deepti needed oxygen immediately so I arranged for a cylinder for her myself,” he said. “I put her into the back of a relative’s car with the oxygen while I went around to a dozen private and government hospitals trying to find her a bed and a ventilator. But nowhere would take her.”
Eventually, late at night on 16 April Pandey found her a bed in a small six-bed private clinic in Lucknow. It was not a Covid hospital but they agreed to take her for a single night to give her oxygen while Pandey continued his search for a hospital bed. “We kept looking all night but nowhere had a bed or ventilator for her,” he said. “In the morning the clinic discharged her at 5am, so we had no choice but to bring her home. Deepti died a few hours later because she did not have oxygen and hospital care. She should be alive today.”
Twitter and Facebook have become a devastating catalogue of hundreds of thousands of urgent pleas for help finding hospital beds, oxygen, plasma and remdesivir, the drug experimentally used to help treat Covid patients, which remains in short supply in hospitals across the country.
The dead, meanwhile, have continued to overload crematoriums and graveyards in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi faster than they could be burned, and families waited days to cremate their loved ones. On Sunday, Delhi’s largest cremation facility, Nigambodh Ghat, ran out of space, despite doubling its funeral pyres to more than 60.
State governments in Delhi and Mumbai have been scrambling to rebuild the temporary Covid facilities they had dismantled months earlier, while the central government announced an amping up of the vaccination programme which would mean anyone over the age of 18 will be eligible from 1 May, though a shortage of supplies remains an issue.
An edict from the government ruled that all oxygen meant for industrial use would now be diverted to hospitals to meet the unprecedented demand, and Indian railways said they were all set to operate special trains specially designed to carry liquid oxygen and oxygen cylinders, dubbed the “Oxygen Express”. Thousands of Covid beds have also been arranged in train carriages.
Still, many fear that it is too little, too late. “The seriousness of the situation should have been realised months ago but instead governments were in denial and gave out messages that the virus was not that dangerous any more,” said Thadhani. “I’m worried that we still have not seen the worst.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/21/system-has-collapsed-india-descent-into-covid-hell
POFMA correction directions issued to Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Uncensored over COVID-19 vaccination falsehoods
SINGAPORE: Correction directions have been issued to opposition politician Goh Meng Seng and alternative news site Singapore Uncensored over false statements linking COVID-19 vaccination to stroke and heart attack.
The directions, issued under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), require them to carry a correction notice alongside their posts, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Apr 15).
These are the first POFMA correction orders issued since July last year.
The order covers posts published on the Facebook pages of Mr Goh, the founder of People's Power Party, on Apr 2 and Apr 7, as well as an article by Singapore Uncensored that was published on its website and Facebook page on Apr 7.
“There are also third parties who have exploited the sharing of personal experiences by individuals, by reposting these personal accounts and making unsubstantiated claims about vaccine-related adverse reactions. They often continue to do so despite the original posts being removed or made private,” said MOH.
Mr Goh had published posts on two Facebook pages linking COVID-19 vaccination to a stroke suffered by a doctor and the death of an 81-year-old man.
Singapore Uncensored published an article on its website, which it shared on its Facebook page, stating that an 81-year-old man died from vaccination complications.
Both Mr Goh and Singapore Uncensored have complied with the correction directions and published correction notices on Thursday morning.
MOH said the allegations are false and there is "no credible evidence" for an increased risk of heart attack or stroke with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, both of which have been approved for use in Singapore.
“The medical team caring for the doctor has assessed that the doctor’s current condition is highly unlikely to be related to the COVID-19 vaccination, and Mount Elizabeth Hospital had issued a clarification on Apr 4, 2021,” the ministry said.
The cause of death of the 81-year-old man was ischaemic heart disease, which is a lack of blood circulation to the heart muscles, it said.
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pofma-covid-19-goh-meng-seng-singapore-uncensored-facebook-14625452
Fucking shitskin Gopi Gopal Pathi is displeased with the food served at Amara Hotel:
Another CECA-ian kpkb about serving SHN liao
PSA: STOP USING YOUR HAND FOR TEMPERATURE SCANS!
KNN this bitch wants to try to circumvent existing SHN regulations!
"Foreign talent' tested positive for COVID-19, yet wants to be moved to a better hotel so he can continue working daily tsk tsk tsk
Another self-entitled CECA-ian maggot Krithika Krishnan complains about SHN hotels!
https://www.facebook.com/KrithRoy/
Covid: Australian vaccine abandoned over false HIV response
A promising Australian candidate for a coronavirus vaccine has been abandoned after trial participants returned false HIV positive results.
.............What happened with the UQ/CSL vaccine?
The vaccine had been in stage one of trials, and proving to be effective in making antibodies.
But it also generated HIV antibodies in some recipients - which meant it showed false positives for HIV. Further testing proved the HIV wasn't there.
CSL and UQ said fixing the flaw would take about a year, prompting a decision to abandon the trial.
More at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55269381
Ah neh and family flying in from rapeland wants to know whether opting for vegetarian or non-vegetarian meals will allow them to serve their SHN at a better hotel lol
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2797259530372365/permalink/3485518984879746/
Why vaccine makers have been absolved of all liabilities - A news compilation by health activist Kari Bundy
1.FROM THE CDC; 3,150 people vaccinated in ONE DAY are "unable to perform normal daily activities, unable to work" after vaccination.
This is a massive 2.7% of people who can no longer work after having the Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2020-12/slides-12-19/05-COVID-CLARK.pdf
2. Portuguese health worker, 41, dies two days after getting the Pfizer covid vaccine as her father says he 'wants answers'
https://trib.al/eEWi66p
3. Mexican doctor hospitalized after receiving COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-mexico-vaccines-idUSKBN2970H3
4. Hundreds of Israelis get infected with Covid-19 after receiving Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
https://www.rt.com/news/511332-israel-vaccination-coronavirus-pfizer/
5. Wife of 'perfectly healthy' Miami doctor, 56, who died of a blood disorder 16 days after getting Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is certain it was triggered by the jab, as drug giant investigates first death with a suspected link to shot.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9119431/Miami-doctor-58-dies-three-weeks-receiving-Pfizer-Covid-19-vaccine.html
6. A 75-year-old Israeli man dies 2 hours after getting Covid-19 vaccine.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/293865
7. Death of Swiss man after given Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss-death-idUSKBN29413Y
8. A 88-year-old collapses and dies several hours after being vaccinated.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/293952
9. Thousands negatively affected after getting Covid-19 vaccine.
https://m.theepochtimes.com/thousands-negatively-affected-after-getting-covid-19-vaccine_3625914.html
10. Hospital worker with no prior allergies in intensive care with severe reaction after Pfizer Covid vaccine.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/16/hospital-worker-in-intensive-care-after-suffering-severe-allergic-reaction-to-covid-vaccine-13763695/
11. Four volunteers develop FACIAL PARALYSIS after taking Pfizer Covid-19 jab, prompting FDA to recommend ‘surveillance for cases’.
https://www.rt.com/usa/509081-pfizer-vaccine-fda-bells-palsy-covid/
12. Investigation launched as 2 people die in Norway nursing home days after receiving Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
https://www.rt.com/news/511623-norway-covid19-vaccine-deaths/
13. Hundreds Sent to Emergency Room After Getting COVID-19 Vaccines
https://m.theepochtimes.com/hundreds-sent-to-emergency-room-after-getting-covid-19-vaccines_3644148.html
14. U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN29B2GS
15. NHS told not to give Covid vaccine to those with history of allergic reactions.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/09/pfizer-covid-vaccine-nhs-extreme-allergy-sufferers-regulators-reaction
16. COVID-19: Single vaccine dose leads to 'greater risk' from new coronavirus variants, South African experts warn
news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-single-vaccine-dose-leads-to-greater-risk-from-new-coronavirus-variants-south-african-experts-warn-12180837
17. CDC reveals at least 21 Americans have suffered life threatening allergic reactions to Pfizer's COVID vaccine
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9119029/amp/At-21-Americans-life-threatening-anaphylaxis-receiving-Pfizers-vaccine-CDC-reveals.html
18. Woman experiences side effects of COVID-19 vaccine
www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/woman-experiences-side-effects-of-covid-19-vaccine/amp/
19. COVID Vaccine Side Effects More Common After 2nd Dose.
www.boston.cbslocal.com/2021/01/05/covid-vaccine-side-effects-fever-reaction/amp/
20. Bulgaria Reports 4 Cases Of Side Effects From Pfizer Covid Vaccine.
www.ndtv.com/world-news/bulgaria-reports-4-cases-of-side-effects-from-pfizer-covid-vaccine-2347667%3famp=1&akamai-rum=off
21. Two NHS workers suffer allergic reaction to Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-vaccine-pfizer-nhs-oxford-covid-uk-cases/amp/
Deaths from COVID-19 in America breach 4000 a day!
Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies after being hospitalized with COVID-19
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has died after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Letlow’s representative, Andrew Bautsch, released the following statement online Tuesday evening.
“Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19.
“Letlow was admitted into a Monroe hospital on December 19 after testing positive for the coronavirus and was transferred to Ochsner-LSU Health on Tuesday, December 22, and placed in intensive care. Letlow is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, Phd., and two young children.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time. A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.”
Letlow announced his diagnosis on social media on Dec. 18, 2020.
The Republican was set to take over Louisiana’s 5th District U.S. Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham.
He leaves behind a wife and two children. Letlow was 41 years old.
Further statements on the passing of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow:
In a series of tweets, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said:
“It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19.
“Congressman-elect Letlow felt a calling from a young age to serve the people of his home state, working behind the scenes for former Governor Bobby Jindal and serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, who he was recently elected to succeed.
“COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family.
“I hope all of the people of Louisiana will join Donna and me in praying for Congressman-elect Letlow’s family, especially his wife Julia and their two children, his many friends, and the people of the 5th Congressional District.
“Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people to COVID-19 since March, and each one of them leaves a tremendous hole in our state.
“I have ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.”
More at https://www.knoe.com/2020/12/30/congressman-elect-luke-letlow-dies-after-being-hospitalized-with-covid-19/
Covid-19 pandemic: Sweden reverses face mask guidelines for public transport
Sweden's government is recommending wearing face masks on public transport during the rush hour, reversing its earlier Covid guidance.
It will also cut from the current eight to four per table the number of people sitting together in restaurants, and ban alcohol sales after 20:00.
PM Stefan Löfven unveiled the measures, which will take effect soon.
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy and Austria are the latest countries to be placed in lockdowns over the Christmas period.
Sweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 360,000 cases and 8,000 deaths - many more than its Scandinavian neighbours.
The country had previously been one of only a few nations not to recommend masks in public outside of healthcare settings.
This is despite strong recommendations given by the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Thursday, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf said the Scandinavian nation "failed" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus outbreak.
The monarch made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.
Instead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.
However, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.
This came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.
And on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.
What else is happening in Europe?
Sweden is not alone in tightening coronavirus restrictions. A number of European countries have done so ahead of Christmas following a surge of infections.
The Netherlands and Germany have imposed lockdowns until January. On Friday, Italy followed suit, imposing a nationwide lockdown for much of the Christmas and New Year period.
Italians will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons between 24-27 December, 31 December - 3 January, and 5-6 January.
In Austria, the government said on Friday the country would enter its third lockdown after Christmas. From 26 December, non-essential shops will be shut and movement outside homes restricted.
However, a mass testing programme in January will give people the opportunity to end their lockdown sooner. The government said those who test negative for the virus will be allowed more freedoms.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron remains in self-isolation in the official presidential residence at La Lanterne at Versailles after testing positive for Covid-19. Mr Macron said he was suffering from fatigue, headaches and a dry cough.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Igor Matovic, who attended an EU summit with Mr Macron last week, said he had tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.
Several other European leaders who were also at the summit, including the prime ministers of Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg, said they would self-isolate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55371102
WTF a box of 50 surgical masks costs only $2.12 now, yet just months ago it will set you back by nearly 20 times as much.......
Netizens slam Minister Chan Chun Sing’s remark on Royal Caribbean COVID-19 case; criticise Govt for supposedly gambling with people’s lives
Following the incident of an 83-year-old passenger of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship being tested positive for COVID-19, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said that the incident was “not unexpected” as the Government had anticipated the possibility of such an incident happening and that they have subsequently put in place the necessary protocols.
Mr Chan told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Siemens Advanced Manufacturing Transformation Centre on Wednesday that it is “precisely because we were concerned that such things may happen, we have put in place the necessary protocols”.
He added that the Government has “never thought that such things will never happen” when it embarked on this pilot scheme.
In fact, the Government has “always made the assumption that someday, something may happen”, said Mr Chan.
It is thus important to have protocols to ensure that they are able to “contact trace quickly, isolate the cases necessary, and for the rest of the activities to continue” if such incidents happen, he highlighted.
“With the protocols that have been put in place, the public can be assured that such incidents can be managed properly,” he remarked.
As part of Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s safe cruise pilot scheme, the Royal Caribbean ship was originally set for a four-day cruise to nowhere.
However, the journey was cut short after the passenger was tested positive for the coronavirus on day three.
The passenger was immediately isolated while all the guests and crew on the ship who had close contact with the passenger had been isolated, and their test results all came out negative.
While the passenger’s close contacts have since been tested negative for COVID-19, further contact tracing is ongoing.
Speaking to the media, Mr Chan also said that the incident happened on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship is “an example of how Singapore will manage risks that emerge from the resumption of economic activities”.
“As we recover from the pandemic, as we resume our economic activities, we work on the basis of a risk management strategy, rather than risk elimination strategy … Zero risk means not to do anything. And that would not be compatible with our overall strategy,” he asserted.
Upon reading the remarks by Mr Chan, the netizens were quick to pen their comments on CNA’s Facebook page, condemning the Government for potentially putting people’s lives at risk by treating people like their case studies.
“You know something might happen, but you use Singaporean’s health and lives as a trade-off,” a netizen wrote.
Some netizens also opined that it is “not unexpected” for the Minister to offer such a response.
“Not unexpected, brilliantly phrased to deflect responsibility,” said a netizen.
Other netizens also expressed scepticism about the Government’s risk assessment and protocols before they decided to implement this pilot cruise programme. They questioned how the passenger was able to contract COVID-19 if the necessary protocols have been implemented.
https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2020/12/09/netizens-slam-minister-chan-chun-sings-remark-on-royal-caribbean-covid-19-case-criticise-govt-for-supposedly-gambling-with-peoples-lives/
Covid: 1.5 million dead globally as vaccination schemes set to begin
At least 1.5 million lives across the globe have been lost to Covid-19, according to a tally of cases maintained by Johns Hopkins University, as vaccinations look set to be rolled out in a handful of nations this month.
Reuters reported that the figures reflected one death reported every nine seconds on average. In the last week alone, more than 10,000 people around the world have died on average every day – and this continues to rise each week.
According to the JHU tally almost 65 million people have been infected globally, and with half a million deaths recorded in the last two months alone, the threat to life from the pandemic is far from over.
Many countries are fighting second and third waves of coronavirus infections, in some cases worse than the first, and are reinstating lockdowns and other tough restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Several countries marked new grim Covid-19 records this week. Italy registered a further 993 deaths, topping its previous record of 969 during its first wave. Meanwhile, Iran, the Middle East’s worst hit country, passed 1 million cases even as authorities considered easing restrictions.
North America and Latin American regions combined have more than 50% of all coronavirus deaths that have been reported. The United States, by far the worst-affected country, has recorded over 14 million cases of Covid-19 and the pandemic has so far cost the lives of more than 275,000 Americans. Fatalities in Latin America have exceeded more than 450,000.
Coronavirus has caused more deaths in the past year than tuberculosis in 2019 and almost four times the number of deaths due to malaria, according to the World Health Organization.
But official figures are likely to be grave underestimates of the true toll of Covid-19. In the UK, for example, the official government death toll stands at 60,113, but only counts known deaths among those who have died within 28 days of testing positive.
This toll has been consistently significantly lower than figures from the UK’s three statistical agencies, which put the death toll as having passed 76,000. This total comprises all fatalities that mention the disease on the death certificate, plus the deaths tallied in the government figures since the agencies’ last count.
The UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday, paving the way for immunisations to begin as early as next week.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/03/covid-15-million-dead-globally-as-vaccination-schemes-set-to-begin
Handouts by SG government to S'poreans in FY 2020/2021:
01. Solidarity Payment - $600 (✔)
02. Care and Support - Up to $600 (✔)
03. GST Voucher - Up to $300 (✔)
04. PAssion Card Cash Topup - $100 (✔)
05. Parent Cash Support - $300 (✔)
06. Temp Relief Fund - $500 (✔)
07. Covid Support Grant - $800×3 (✔)
08. SIRS Part 1 - $3,000 (✔)
09. CDC Voucher - $50 (✔)
10. Solidarity Utility Credit - $100 (✔)
11. Workfare Special Payment 1 - $1,500 (✔)
12. SIRS Part 2 - $3,000 (✔)
13. Grocery Voucher 1 - $150 (✔)
14a. Workfare Special Payment 2 - $1,500 (✔)
14b. Workfare Special Payment 2 - $3,000 (✔)
15. SIRS Part 3 - $3,000 (✔)
16. Grocery Voucher 2 - $150 (Dec)
17. Tourism Voucher - $100 (Dec)
18. Extended Covid Grant - $800×3 (Dec-Feb 2021)
19. Grocery Voucher 3 - $100 (2021)
20. Baby Support Grant - $3,000 (2021)
Russia's two-shot Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to cost less than US$20 per person
MOSCOW: Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will cost less than US$20 per person on international markets and Moscow aims to produce more than a billion doses at home and abroad next year, its backers and developers said on Tuesday (Nov 24).
The Sputnik vaccine is administered in two shots, each of which will cost less than US$10 each, according to the official Sputnik V Twitter account. For Russian citizens, vaccination will be free of charge.
The pricing announcement comes as Russia looks to scale up distribution and production. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund, said Moscow and its foreign partners had capacity to make more than a billion doses starting from next year, enough to vaccinate over 500 million people.
The international market price for Sputnik V unveiled on Tuesday is cheaper than some other Western rivals such as a vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, which costs €15.50 (US$18) per shot, but more expensive that a vaccine produced by AstraZeneca which will be sold in Europe for around €2.50 (US$3) per shot.
Dmitriev told Reuters that Moscow had deliberately tried to get the price down to make it available to as many people around the world as possible.
RDIF said in a statement: "Sputnik V will be two or more times cheaper than mRNA vaccines with similar efficacy levels."
It said it was basing its assessment on mRNA vaccines where pricing had already been announced and interim phase three clinical trials were underway.
RDIF and the Gamaleya National Center said earlier on Tuesday that new clinical trial data based on 39 confirmed cases and 18,794 patients who got both shots had shown that Sputnik V was 91.4 per cent effective on day 28 and over 95 per cent effective on day 42.
Moscow has been criticised by some scientists in the West who have accused it of cutting corners in an effort to try to rush out the vaccine.
Russia has denied that, alleging a Western dirty tricks campaign to put people off its vaccine in what it believes has become a battle for legitimacy and market share.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/covid-19-coronavirus-russia-sputnik-v-vaccine-cost-20-usd-13629542
India accorded first priority for AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine: Serum Institute
India will be given first priority for the delivery of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine after its British developers claimed success following mass testing, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume said Monday.
The chief executive of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, said the manufacturer has already produced 40 million doses of the vaccine so far.
"By January, we should have, you know, 100 million doses is minimum because we've already made 40 million doses," Poonawalla, whose father founded the vaccine manufacturer, told television broadcaster NDTV.
Poonawalla said he expected that some 90 percent of Serum Institute's doses were to be sold to the Indian government at around 250 rupees (US$3.00).
"Most of that 90 percent is what's going to go to the government of India and maybe 10 percent in the private market at the higher price (of 1,000 rupees)," he said.
"We're hoping for this emergency use licence so that by the end of December, January we can start rolling out some (doses)."
AstraZeneca and Oxford University said Monday that their drug had proved on average 70 percent effective at stopping the virus after trying it on 23,000 people.
The Oxford drug can be transported easily at normal refrigerator temperatures—unlike some of the other candidates, which require extremely cold storage.
AstraZeneca said it planned to produce up to three billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 if it passes the remaining regulatory hurdles.
The Serum Institute in August struck a deal with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to produce up to 100 million COVID-19 doses of two different potential vaccines from AstraZeneca and US biotech company Novavax.
Once the vaccines gain regulatory approval, the doses could be produced as early as the first half of 2021 for distribution to low- and middle-income countries, Gavi said.
India's Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told India Today TV earlier Monday that he expected between 250-300 million Indians would be immunised by September next year.
First in line would be health workers, other frontline workers including the police, paramilitary and those working in sanitisation, as well as people aged above 65, Vardhan added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with state leaders on Tuesday for discussions about the distribution of the vaccine, local media reported.
India is the second worst-infected nation after the United States with more than 9.1 million virus cases.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-india-priority-vaccine-delivery-serum.html
AJ Hackett Sentosa
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A Year Of Exits: 6 Homegrown And International Chains We Had To Bid Farewell To In 2020
2020 has undoubtedly been a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Besides the virus’ undeniable impact on individuals and society, it has also taken a huge toll on many businesses.
Lockdowns and safe distancing measures have resulted in a significant decrease in businesses’ footfall, translating to lower profits.
Businesses have had to quickly pivot or risk phasing out. Even so, factors like rental and manpower costs might continue to be a hindrance in business continuity plans.
As businesses brace themselves for an even longer struggle with Covid-19, Singaporeans have already bid farewell to these six homegrown and international chains:
1. Robinsons
Founded in 1858, Robinsons is one of the oldest department stores in Singapore. Even though it has managed to weather through 162 years, Covid-19 proved too much to handle for the retail giant.
It was reported on October 30 that it would make its exit from Singapore for good, following losses in the recent years.
According to a report by Business Times, the department store had been chalking up at least six years of losses amid declining revenues.
Financial records show that the company recorded up to S$54.4 million in losses in 2018.
Its topline also shrunk, and it generated S$153.8 million in revenue in 2018, down from the S$257.3 million it made in 2014.
The brand’s decision to shutter its stores has left both customers and suppliers in the lurch, with customers unsure if orders will be fulfilled and suppliers worried that they may never get paid their sales proceeds.
Some consignment suppliers have said they are being owed sales proceeds made in the past few months.
On November 19, it was reported that Robinsons owes a total of 442 creditors at least S$31.7 million.
Among the 442 creditors listed are mattress companies such as Simmons, Sealy, Serta and Tempur.
Also on the list are major apparel, fashion and beauty brands such as Adidas, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Clarins, Chanel and LVMH.
2. Bakerzin
Founded in 1998, Bakerzin describes itself as “one of Singapore’s most well-loved artisan dessert cafes”.
It was reported on October 9 that the F&B establishment had closed all five of its outlets islandwide, marking its exit in Singapore.
Bakerzin did not issue any statement on this closure on its Facebook page (its last post was dated on 30 September).
However, on the morning of October 5, it issued notice of a creditor’s meeting for the purpose of winding up.
In a 2017 interview with Vulcan Post, Bakerzin founder Daniel Tay shared that the business did really well, and the company’s annual turnover was approximately S$13 million to S$14 million.
However, increasing rentals began eating into profits and sales were no longer substantial enough to cover rentals, thereby prompting its closure that could have also been impacted by Covid-19.
3. Sportslink
This June, homegrown sports retail chain Sportslink went into liquidation.
Sportslink first started out as a single store — Sports Interlink in Queensway Shopping Centre.
It was founded in 1983 by the late Lim Kau Tee, and was only registered as Sportslink four years later. Sports Link Pte Ltd (SLH) was later registered in 1994.
It started extending its reach to suburban malls in 1995 and rapidly grew in Singapore. At its peak in 2015, it had 35 outlets islandwide.
However, it began facing financial woes.
According to its liquidator, Sportslink owed a number of creditors as well as a month’s salary to employees. In total, its debts amounted to at least S$3.4 million.
One of its creditors was Adidas Singapore, which was also its supplier.
On June 9, Adidas Singapore had filed an application to the High Court for the winding up of Sportslink. The latter had owed Adidas Singapore S$1.3 million in overdue trade payables since April 2018.
According to an affidavit by an Adidas Singapore director, Sportslink partially repaid the debt and previously agreed to a repayment plan, but did not follow through with it.
By November last year, Sportslink owed Adidas about S$991,000.
The biggest creditor however, was a Malaysian sports vendor for Brooks products, who was owed S$1.2 million.
4. Topshop And Topman
On September 11, British fashion brands Topshop and Topman’s brand manager, Wing Tai Retail, confirmed the closure of its Vivocity outlet.
The Vivocity outlet, which is its last in Singapore, was officially closed on September 17.
At its peak, the brand owned ten brick-and-mortar stores in Singapore. Most of its stores were located in major shopping malls, including ION Orchard, Raffles City and Vivocity.
Additionally, Topshop Knightsbridge on Orchard Road was the brand’s largest branch outside of the US and the UK.
5. Esprit
Hong Kong-based fashion retailer Esprit has closed all of its Asia stores outside of mainland China, as it grapples with the impacts of Covid-19.
By June 30, it closed 56 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. It also winded up its business in China.
In Singapore, the fashion retailer had 11 stores including at ION Orchard, Paragon, Suntec City and Jewel Changi Airport.
According to InsideRetail Asia, Esprit’s Asia store sales had fallen by 48.7 per cent over nine months, then dropped further to 61.3 per cent from March 2020.
In the nine months, the 56 stores contributed around US$34.4 million to the Esprit Group’s revenue — less than four per cent of its total turnover.
After the closures, Esprit plans to focus mostly on its European markets. However, it will still carry on with wholesale and licensing in Asia, and a joint venture in China.
6. STA Travel
STA Travel, a company focused on providing package holidays for students and young people, has closed down for good.
STA Travel is well-known amongst the local student population in Singapore, with outlets in NUS, SMU and NTU.
Many students would patronise these stores to book discounted flights or access special student deals when planning for their studies abroad.
On Facebook, the tour agency is listed as “permanently closed”, with its last post on the page dated August 19 this year.
STA Travel stopped operating after its parent company in Switzerland filed for insolvency in September.
The statement of the company’s assets and liabilities (as of September 10) showed that it owed S$439,000 to former employees.
Besides staff, The Straits Times said that as many as 682 customers who are listed as creditors are owed a total of S$635,000.
Audit firm Deloitte & Touche has issued a notice which listed the potential creditors on behalf of STA Travel last week.
According to this list, the biggest sum of S$84,088 is said to be owed to an individual.
More Closures To Come
Besides these large chains, many homegrown businesses have also winded up their operations.
According to a report by The Straits Times, business closures in the retail sector hit a 10-month high in September, with 457 companies calling it quits.
It is said that more closures are to be expected after relief, to protect qualifying commercial tenants unable to pay rent from eviction and hiked up interest rates, ends today (November 19).
Hence, it is important for business owners to be quick to pivot and improve on existing business strategies to make themselves relevant in the face of changing consumer behaviour.
https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/singapore/a-year-of-exits-6-homegrown-and-international-chains-we-had-to-bid-farewell-to-in-2020/ar-BB1b9ED7
Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid vaccine found to be 90% effective
A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech has been found to be more than 90 per cent effective, in a breakthrough that could make the shot available for use by the end of the year if drug authorities give it the green light.
The finding was the result of the first independent analysis of any Covid-19 vaccine in phase 3 trials — the final stage before commercial licensing. Out of the 43,000 trial participants, the small number who were infected enabled the independent evaluators to calculate the effectiveness after two doses.
“To me, this is the best possible outcome,” Ugur Sahin, co-founder and chief executive of BioNTech told the Financial Times, while Pfizer boss Albert Bourla said it was “a great day for science and humanity”.
The drug is expected to be submitted to authorities for emergency approval in the third week of November, ahead of other vaccine developers. Former vaccine frontrunner Moderna does not expect to have the trial data required to go for approval until November 25, while AstraZeneca's partnership with the University of Oxford expects results by the end of this year.
Pfizer shares jumped almost 15 per cent in pre-market trading in New York, while Nasdaq-listed BioNTech rose 25 per cent.
More at https://www.ft.com/content/9bde4bff-acf0-4c2a-a0d0-5ed597186496
Ger ger slams bolehland govt's double standards & incompetence!
Another Sinkie has uplorried, bringing the overall COVID-19 death toll to 28:
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/64-year-old-man-becomes-28th-covid-19-fatality-singapore-first-such-death-almost-3-months
Trump shu shu kenna Wuhan-ed liao!!!!!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54381848
Global Coronavirus Deaths Cross 1 Million Mark: Report
Global Coronavirus Cases: In total, 1,000,009 deaths have been officially recorded around the world out of 33,018,877 cases. The worst-hit region is Latin America and the Caribbean, with 341,032 deaths for 9,190,683 cases.
Paris, France:
The global death count from the new coronavirus, which emerged less than a year ago in China and has swept across the world, passed one million on Sunday.
The pandemic has ravaged the global economy, inflamed geopolitical tensions and upended lives, from Indian slums and Brazil's jungles to America's biggest city New York.
World sports, live entertainment and international travel ground to a halt as fans, audiences and tourists were forced to stay at home, kept inside by strict measures imposed to curb the virus spread.
Drastic controls that put half of humanity -- more than four billion people -- under some form of lockdown by April at first slowed its pace, but since restrictions were eased cases have soared again.
On Sunday 2230 GMT the disease had claimed 1,000,009 victims from 33,018,877 recorded infections, according to an AFP tally using official sources.
The United States has the highest death count with more than 200,000 fatalities followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and Britain.
For Italian truck driver Carlo Chiodi those grim figures include both his parents, who he says he lost within days of each other.
"What I have a hard time accepting is that I saw my father walking out of the house, getting into the ambulance, and all I could say to him was 'goodbye'," said Chiodi, 50.
"I regret not saying 'I love you' and I regret not hugging him. That still hurts me," he told AFP.
With scientists still racing to find a working vaccine, governments are again forced into an uneasy balancing act: Virus controls slow the spread of the disease, but they hurt already reeling economies and businesses.
The IMF earlier this year warned that the economic upheaval could cause a "crisis like no other" as the world's GDP collapsed.
Europe, hit hard by the first wave, is now facing another surge in cases, with Paris, London and Madrid all forced to introduce controls to slow cases threatening to overload hospitals.
Masks and social distancing in shops, cafes and public transport are now part of everyday life in many cities.
Mid-September saw a record rise in cases in most regions and the World Health Organization has warned virus deaths could even double to two million without more global collective action.
"One million is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million," the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters on Friday.
"Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number?
Waking up to Covid-19
The SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes the illness known as Covid-19 made its first known appearance in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak.
How it got there is still unclear but scientists think it originated in bats and could have been transmitted to people via another mammal.
Wuhan was shut down in January as other countries looked on in disbelief at China's draconian controls, even as they went about their business as usual.
By March 11, the virus had emerged in over 100 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, expressing concern about the "alarming levels of inaction."
Patrick Vogt, a family doctor in Mulhouse, a city that became the outbreak's epicentre in France in March, said he realised coronavirus was everywhere when doctors started falling ill, some dying.
"We saw people in our surgery who had really big breathing problems, young and not-so-young who were exhausted," he said. "We didn't have any therapeutic solutions."
Frustrations, protests
Nor did the virus spare the rich or famous this year.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a week in hospital. Madonna tested positive after a tour of France as did Tom Hanks and his wife who recovered and returned home to Los Angeles after quarantine in Australia.
The Tokyo Olympics, Rio's famed Carnival and the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca are among the major events postponed or disrupted by the pandemic. Premier League football has restarted but with empty stadiums. The French Open tennis tournament is limiting its audiences to 1,000 a day.
Israel has gone into full lockdown again and Moscow's vulnerable have been ordered to stay home.
As the restrictions tighten, protests and anger are rising as businesses worry about their survival and individuals grow frustrated about their jobs and families in the face of another round of lockdown measures.
Anti-lockdown protesters and police clashed in central London on Saturday as officers dispersed the thousands at a demonstration.
"This is the last straw -- We were starting to get back on our feet," said Patrick Labourrasse, a restaurant owner in Aix-en-Provence, a French city near Marseille which is again being forced to close down bars and restaurants.
Along with the turmoil, though, lies some hope.
The IMF says the economic outlook appears brighter now than it had been in June, even if it remains "very challenging".
Crucially, nine vaccine candidates are in last-stage clinical trials, with hopes some will be rolled out next year though questions remain about how and when they will be distributed around the world.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/global-coronavirus-deaths-cross-1-million-mark-afp-tally-2301896
'Shock and awe': Victoria declares state of disaster, six-week Melbourne curfew and stage four restrictions
Victoria has declared a state of disaster and stage four restrictions are now in place, including a police-enforced curfew in metro Melbourne.
Under "shock and awe" state of disaster provisions, an 8pm - 5am curfew has been instituted by police and soldiers across Melbourne, starting tonight and continuing daily for at least six weeks.
The state of disaster declaration means Victoria Police and others have been granted additional powers, and the government can also suspend various acts of the parliament.
There have been 671 new coronavirus cases recorded in Victoria overnight - the state's second worst day on record - and a further seven deaths.
The stay at home restrictions for metro Melbourne have been enhanced and there are now additional limits to the four reasons residents are allowed to leave.
"Only one person will be able to go shopping once per day and they will need to secure the goods and services that are what you need within a 5km radius," Premier Daniel Andrews said.
"In terms of exercise, recreation is now no longer allowed. You will be able to have one hour of exercise, no further than 5km from your home. That means it's fresh air. It's a jog. It's a walk. It's in your local neighbourhood."
On the curfew, Mr Andrews added: "Police will be out in force and you will be stopped and you will be asked and need to demonstrate that you are lawfully out and you are not breaching that curfew.
"Going to a mate's place, visiting friends, being out and about for no good reason, all that will do is spread this virus."
Mr Andrews said he would elaborate on punishments for breaking curfew at tomorrow's briefing, but a $10,000 fine is possible.
The ramping up of measures was driven by 700 mystery cases, with authorities unable to track and trace the source of those infections, and a complacency from some Victorians.
From Wednesday, all students in metro Melbourne, including Year 11 and 12, will return to remote learning.
Also confirming childcare centres in Melbourne would close, Victorian Education Minister James Merlino acknowledged the impact stage 4 would have on students and families.
He said the Year 12 General Achievement Test will move from the end of Term Three to the start of Term Four. There was no change to any VCE exams and ATARs would be delivered by the end of the year, he said.
From midnight next Wednesday, regional Victoria will move to stage three restrictions. Mitchell Shire will stay at stage three.
"That's stay at home, except for the four reasons to leaving," Mr Andrews said.
A lot more at https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-state-of-disaster-melbourne-curfew-introduced-coronavirus-stage-4-lockdown-restrictions-what-they-mean/2e508cdb-6cfe-4a6f-ad80-52af9601435a
Melbourne kenna lockdown again, Sydney to suffer the same fate shortly?
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus!
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/07/brazil-president-jair-bolsonaro-tests-positive-for-coronavirus.html