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Intellasia East Asia News After the Palace incorrectly claimed that the US has not donated a single vaccine dose to the Philippines, its embassy on Thursday said Washington has donated an additional P170 million to the country’s vaccination programme, bringing its total pandemic assistance to nearly P1.3 billion. The US Embassy in the Philippines in […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines is still struggling to stay on top of the COVID-19 crisis because of poor leadership and mixed messaging, a community doctor observed Thursday. Speaking to ANC, Dr Gene Nisperos, board member of Community Medicine Development Foundation, lamented the lack of effective public health messaging, which is crucial in curbing […]

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday the government has made a second payment to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX initiative to access around 11 million COVID-19 vaccines. Read full story

LONDON (Reuters) – British scientists on Monday launched a trial which will deliberately expose participants who have already had COVID-19 to the coronavirus again to examine immune responses and see if people get reinfected. Read full story

The government is appealing to all sectors to comply with the new Covid-19 restrictions by supporting work-from-home schemes where possible, as the number of daily new infections reached a new record with 1,767 new cases on Sunday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is calling for the suspension of all domestic flights between 10pm and 4am, after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) urged all people in high-risk “red zones” to stay at home from 11pm to 4am to curb the number of new infections.

The new school term, which is scheduled to begin next month, may be deferred to June due to the worsening Covid-19 situation.

Intellasia East Asia News The number of people dying of the coronavirus disease in Metro Manila has increased three-fold in recent weeks, OCTA Research Group revealed yesterday. Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), the group noted that the case fatality rate (CFR) in the National Capital Region (NCR) was at 5.36 percent from […]

Intellasia East Asia News Loan disbursements by Philippine banks are seen recovering this year despite slumping for three straight months since December due to uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to S&P Global Ratings. In a report, S&P said bank lending in the Philippines would likely grow by 6.5 percent this year, still […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines on Thursday recorded 11,429 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 904,285. Active cases: 183,527 or 20.3 percent of the total Recoveries: 856, pushing total to 705,164 Deaths: 148, bringing total to 15,594 What’s new today? * The number of COVID-19 patients calling the government’s One […]

Cambodia began setting up thousands of hospital beds in two wedding party halls on Sunday to cope with an influx of COVID-19 patients in a country that up until recently had largely managed to contain infections. The post Cambodia uses wedding halls for COVID patients as cases surge appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Intellasia East Asia News The Japanese government is extending assistance to the Philippines in increasing testing capacity amid the continued surge in COVID-19 cases. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Japan’s bilateral aid agency, is working with local health institutions to enhance COVID-19 surveillance in the country. Active cases in the country stood at 165,534, […]

Intellasia East Asia News President Rodrigo Duterte’s two-week absence from the public eye is a matter of style that Filipinos cannot change and should simply respect, his spokesperson said Thursday. At a press briefing Thursday afternoon, Palace spokesman Harry Roque responded to criticisms over Duterte’s refusal to speak to the public amid the worsening coronavirus […]

Intellasia East Asia News President Duterte may talk to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to secure more COVID-19 vaccines for the Philippines, Malacanang said yesterday, as governments grapple with a tight supply of pandemic jabs. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte has no immediate scheduled meeting with fellow world leaders but the President had mentioned […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines is struggling to secure enough COVID-19 vaccines for its entire population, as coronavirus infections surpassed the 900,000-mark, the country’s drug regulator said Friday. “So far, nahihirapan pong kumuha ng supply ‘yong gobyerno (the government is struggling to secure supplies),” Food and Drug Administration director-general Eric Domingo told Teleradyo. Data […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines will extend its travel ban on new entries for foreigners until April 30, as the number of reported coronavirus cases remains high, the government said Friday. The ban, which started on March 20, was initially set to be lifted on April 21. But it will be prolonged by more […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Department of Health is now allowing survivors to be immediately vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19. “Section III E.5 of Department Circular No. 2021-0157 is amended for simplification that all vaccine recipients who contracted COVID-19 may be vaccinated after recovery or completion of treatment, whether for first or second dose, without […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines has asked the United States government if it could borrow some of its AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine supply, which is not yet approved for emergency use in the US, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said. According to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, Romualdez […]

Intellasia East Asia News The United States through its development agency announced Thursday it would provide additional $3.5 million to further support the Philippines’ vaccination programmes via the COVAX facility. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator Gloria Steele made the announcement during a virtual economic briefing organised by the Philippine Embassy in […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Department of Health said more evidence is needed to determine if a third COVID-19 vaccine dose is necessary to protect people against COVID-19. The agency said this Friday following the statement of the head of pharmaceutical giant Pfiser that people will “likely” need a third dose of his company’s COVID-19 […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines and United States have kicked off their annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises, a joint show of force in the face of China’s rising maritime assertiveness over Manila-claimed waters in the South China Sea. Even in this year’s scaled down version due to Covid-19 health protocols, the Balikatan will involve […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines on Friday recorded 10,726 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 914,971. Active cases: 193,476 or 21.1 percent of the total Recoveries: 650, pushing total to 707,757 Deaths: 145, bringing total to 15,738 What’s new today? Today saw the highest ever recorded number of active coronavirus […]

The stock prices of private hospitals are likely to increase given the new outbreak, say analysts from Capital Nomura Securities (CNS) and Trinity Securities, citing a 200-300% increase in people seeking Covid-19 tests per day.

The Ministry of Public Health on Sunday insisted that CoronaVac, the vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinovac, could protect people against Covid-19, despite a claim on social media that a man who received the jab had not developed any immunity.

Prakhon Chai Hospital in Buri Ram on Sunday suspended non-urgent treatment for two days after a patient died and was found to be infected with Covid-19.

The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has seen land sales and leases decrease by 66.1% in the first six months of fiscal 2021, attributed to the impact of Covid-19, though investment value is still on the rise.

Hong Kong has banned Singapore Airlines from operating flights from its home base to the city for 14 days, starting on Saturday, for breaching Covid-19 rules.The ban was invoked after one passenger who arrived in Hong Kong via Singapore Airlines flight SQ882 on Wednesday was confirmed as infected, while three passengers failed to comply with […]

A lot of the world has been shut off to American tourists as US coronavirus cases continue to rise. But at these destinations, a US passport still opens doors — albeit usually with some Covid-19 testing requirements.

Surplus vaccine doses are piling up in some countries while others say they are not getting enough.

More than 11,000 people took the BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus when distribution resumed on Monday following a nearly two-week suspension due to packaging problems. About 5,200 residents received their first dose, while another 6,500 took their second one. The day before the suspension on March 24, about 14,400 people received their first jab of […]

Children could be more contagious silent carriers of the coronavirus, with over 40 per cent of confirmed cases aged three and below in Hong Kong displaying no symptoms, local researchers have found. Data collected locally by researchers at Chinese University showed the coronavirus survived in stool samples for as long as 36 days in the […]

China is opening its vaccination programme to people from Hong Kong and Macau who live on the mainland, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a notice on Tuesday.Hong Kong and Macau residents who join the free and voluntary vaccination programme on the mainland will receive the same treatment as mainlanders. To qualify, they must […]

TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian province of Ontario will begin offering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to people turning 40 or older this year on Tuesday, according to a government source. Read full story

Intellasia East Asia News Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday the government can take over hotels and turn them into isolation facilities as surging COVID-19 infections put a strain on the overstretched healthcare sector. The Philippines is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia, with hospitals in the capital region facing long queues […]

Intellasia East Asia News The video images are grainy, but Philippine nurse Maria Theresa Cruz stands out from her colleagues as she cheers and hugs those who have returned after recovering from COVID-19. The contrast of her brown personal protective equipment (PPE) gown with her surroundings is a reminder that she had to buy the […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines will extend its travel ban on new entries for foreigners until April 30, as the number of reported coronavirus cases remains high, Kyodo cited the country’s government as saying Friday. The ban, which started on March 22, was initially set to be lifted on April 21. But it will […]

Intellasia East Asia News The Philippines has detected over 600 new cases of more infectious coronavirus variants, including the United Kingdom (B117) and South Africa (B1351) variants of COVID-19. On Sunday, April 18, health officials said they found 266 additional cases of the UK variant and 351 new cases of the South African variant in […]

The Los Angeles Lakers will miss the team’s White House visit scheduled for later this month because of Covid-19 protocols and scheduling issues, according to ESPN.

April 19, 2021 5:00 AM Each method may have its shortcomings, but put together, they make up a solid whole.

April 19, 2021 5:00 AM People are still needed to sift through data and draw inferences, and make decisions such as whether or not to issue quarantine orders. 

April 19, 2021 5:00 AM Behind each of 38 vaccination centres is a vast virtual infrastructure that makes the process as efficient as possible.

April 19, 2021 5:00 AM About 60 per cent of eligible seniors aged 70 and above have received the jab or booked their vaccination appointments.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday he would send federal healthcare workers to help Toronto and the province of Ontario battle a third wave of COVID-19 infections that has forced shutdowns of schools and businesses. Read full story

BLANTYRE (Reuters) – Fourteen people, including senior officials, have been arrested in Malawi and Labour Minister Ken Kandodo has been sacked over misuse of COVID-19 funds, President Lazarus Chakwera and police said on Sunday. Read full story

April 19, 2021 4:00 AM Companies such as Barclays, Standard Chartered Bank and Cognizant contribute skills and resources to help charities and disadvantaged communities keep up in a fast-changing world.

The royal family adhered strictly to UK Covid-19 regulations during the funeral of Prince Philip, who was laid to rest Saturday. As such, the Queen sat alone during the service to follow current restrictions.

Hong Kong recorded zero local coronavirus infections for the first time in a week while another chronically ill person died after receiving the Sinovac vaccine, health authorities revealed on Sunday. The news came as Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, the city’s No 2 official, urged the public to stay vigilant over the five-day holiday break, […]

Agencies dealing with the employment of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong have rejected calls for flights from the Philippines to be banned, and said workers should be vaccinated against Covid-19 before entering the city.A debate over stopping flights has intensified after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases involving people arriving from the country grew […]

Three more people have been given the wrong Covid-19 vaccine after mixing up inoculation centres, Hong Kong officials have said, taking the total number of residents who were not properly screened on-site to at least five.The disclosure prompted a government pandemic adviser to urge officials to tighten their protocols at the city’s inoculation centres, with […]

US drug giant Johnson & Johnson, whose Covid-19 vaccine has been touted by some local health experts as a promising replacement for the AstraZeneca jab, has no plans to supply Hong Kong this year, the Post has learned.While officials are pinning their hopes on second-generation jabs to counter new coronavirus variants, top public health experts […]

Thousands of public hospital patients suffering from certain chronic illnesses will be able to receive streamlined “one-stop” care and medication from private practitioners at government-subsidised rates, Hong Kong’s health authorities have announced – part of a renewed push to free up the overloaded public facilities. Public hospital chiefs also revealed at a press briefing on […]

Two pregnant women in Hong Kong who had received the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine have suffered miscarriages, although a link to the jabs has not been established and health authorities are assessing the cases. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the Department of Health revealed it had received the first reports of miscarriages following immunisation […]

Hong Kong should remain vigilant over imported Covid-19 cases from the Philippines, medical experts said, pointing to a surge in infections from the country where a new variant was also recently identified. Their warnings came as Hong Kong recorded just two new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, and bookings for the BioNTech vaccines resumed after being […]

Blood cancer patient David Allardice was relieved to get his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine two weeks ago, putting him a step closer towards protection against the deadly respiratory disease.But relief turned to shock when it emerged the 55-year-old Hong Kong resident had gone to the wrong vaccination centre – and was given the China-made […]

Hong Kong’s quarantine rules for airline crews will be relaxed in stages, with the government set to roll out a new travel policy this week for fully vaccinated flight staff, the Post has learned. The changes are expected to benefit cargo flights first, which carries the added benefit of de-escalating a row that pitted Hong […]

TANGKAK (Bernama): Any decision relating to the closure of schools is made based on the joint assessment by the district health office, Education Ministry (MOE) and the state government, says Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. Read full story

Poll of the week: A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that 68% of Americans plan to or already have gotten a Covid-19 vaccine. A sizable minority (27%) say they don’t plan to get the vaccine.

What used to be a mysterious new variant first detected in the UK is now the leading coronavirus strain in the US. And unlike the original novel coronavirus, B.1.1.7 is hitting young people particularly hard.

April 18, 2021 10:33 PM The man is a crew member on board a bunker tanker and did not disembark from the vessel except to go for Covid-19 testing and vaccination.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday that he expects a decision to be made about the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine by Friday, predicting the vaccine would come back on the market with restrictions or warnings.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic spreads and impacts the entire planet, many countries have issued entry and travel restrictions, including Việt Nam.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc sent a video message to a teleconference of health ministers from the Western Pacific region hosted by World Health Organisation on Wednesday, with a focus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hong Kong on Monday confirmed 16 new coronavirus infections, of which one was locally transmitted, but top infectious disease experts warned the city could be hit by another surge of cases after large gatherings over the Easter break.The local case, involving a 32-year-old man, was untraceable. Six of the 15 imported cases were from the […]

Hong Kong police and government officers issued a total of HK$5 million (US$643,000) in fines to 980 residents over breaches of social-distancing rules in a sweep that began on the eve of the five-day Easter break.News of the crackdown emerged as the city confirmed seven more Covid-19 cases on Tuesday – three locally transmitted and […]

Top pandemic advisers to the government have called for Hong Kong’s AstraZeneca orders to be scrapped over mounting safety concerns in Europe, but health authorities say they are still waiting for information from the British and Swedish manufacturers of the Covid-19 vaccine.Leading expert Professor David Hui Shu-cheong and Executive Council member Dr Lam Ching-choi suggested […]

Hong Kong medical experts have called on the government to replace its procurement of AstraZeneca Covid-19 shots with jabs developed by Johnson & Johnson amid safety concerns over a possible link between the British-Swedish vaccine and blood clots.Their advice came on Thursday as the city confirmed 10 coronavirus cases, eight of which were imported, mainly […]

Health experts have backed calls for fully vaccinated travellers from Covid-19 low-risk countries to be allowed quarantine-free entry into Hong Kong subject to conditions such as mandatory testing. The city’s tourism lawmaker on Friday also said a proposal to partially lift Covid-19 restrictions for visitors from mainland China would fail to revive the sector.Officials are […]

Hong Kong’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app has recorded nearly 3.8 million downloads – representing more than half of the city’s population – and about 19,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus over the past two months after receiving alerts from the software, according to the city’s information and technology minister.Alfred Sit Wing-hang also said on […]

Hong Kong’s leader has rejected accusations the city’s new “vaccination bubble” plan is intended to coerce residents into taking a coronavirus jab, saying it provides a “timetable and road map” for returning to normal life, while acknowledging the incentives were devised to address an unsatisfactory inoculation rate.Defending the multifaceted scheme rolled out a day earlier, […]

Hong Kong officials apologised on Tuesday as they admitted a total of 24 residents had received a different Covid-19 vaccine to the one they booked since the mass inoculation programme began at the end of February.Revealing an additional 19 such instances to the five previously reported, a government spokesman said some people went to a […]

Authorities in Hong Kong will quarantine about 50 people over fears of a possible family outbreak after a 29-year-old woman confirmed with Covid-19 had multiple gatherings over the Easter holidays, and six family members tested positive. The move came as the city confirmed six new coronavirus cases on Thursday, two of which were locally transmitted, […]

KUALA TERENGGANU (Bernama): The number of health workers infected with Covid-19 after completing their vaccination regime under the immunisation exercise is 10 times lower than the number of cases reported among health workers without it, says Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister (Mosti) Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim. Read full story

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodia began setting up thousands of hospital beds in two wedding party halls on Sunday to cope with an influx of COVID-19 patients in a country that up until recently had largely managed to contain infections. Read full story

Hong Kong health authorities, acting on the advice of experts, have expanded the scope of a partial evacuation at a Tuen Mun housing estate at the centre of a new coronavirus cluster after two more cases were confirmed there on Saturday. The fresh evacuations came as the city’s education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung urged teachers […]

PETALING JAYA: There needs to be a quicker rollout of and an assurance that there will be adequate supply of the Covid-19 vaccine, says the Alliance For Safe Community. Read full story

Read CNN’s Fast Facts about the coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

IT officials designing a mobile application to help Hong Kong restaurants and bars check their customers’ Covid-19 inoculation records under a new “vaccine bubble” scheme should address privacy concerns before its roll-out, industry and union representatives have said. Business leaders in the restaurant and bar sector told the Post the government had been developing an […]

Hongkongers living in mainland China may be allowed to cast their votes in future local elections at special polling stations on the city side of border if the coronavirus pandemic continues to curb travel.Officials also told lawmakers the newly empowered Election Committee would run for a five-year term until 2026, but added beyond then its […]

It comes as the World Health Organization warns of deaths and cases increasing at a “worrying rate”.

KUCHING: More than 400 students in Miri have been infected with Covid-19, leading to a recommendation for schools to be closed for 14 days. Read full story

ZURICH (Reuters) – A modified version of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine tailored to combat a coronavirus variant first documented in South Africa could be ready by the end of 2021, an AstraZeneca official in Austria said in an interview published on Sunday. Read full story

BERLIN: Germany held a national memorial service on Sunday for its nearly 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic, putting aside deep divisions over Covid restrictions to share the pain of grieving families.

CHIANG MAI registered 196 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the tally of confirmed cases in the third wave of the coronavirus outbreak to 2,233.

Hong Kong’s health minister has renewed her call for residents to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, after authorities revealed a 63-year-old man had been infected despite getting his second dose of the Sinovac jab.The man got his two shots of the Chinese-made vaccine on March 10 and April 7 at Yau Oi Sports Centre in […]

The pandemic has brought countries to a standstill. Meanwhile, vaccinations are underway as cases continue to rise. Follow here for the latest.

BioNTech vaccinations have restarted in Hong Kong following a 12-day suspension over packaging defects, putting the city’s Covid-19 inoculation drive back on track for the widespread protection of its population and the ultimate goal of herd immunity. The development returns the Hong Kong campaign to a two-vaccine approach, with doses from Chinese company Sinovac also […]

Hong Kong has asked embattled drug giant AstraZeneca to delay delivery of 7.5 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine this year and is looking for a second-generation version of the jabs better able to handle new coronavirus variants. The health minister told lawmakers of the move on Friday as the city confirmed 14 new Covid-19 cases, […]

Hong Kong has enough doses of Covid-19 vaccine and does not need to rush to secure a third type, according to a government pandemic adviser who also warned against a further easing of social-distancing rules.Respiratory medicine specialist Professor David Hui Shu-cheong said on Sunday the 15 million shots in total already secured by the city […]

Key points:– Social-distancing measures at restaurants will be relaxed in phased, conditional approach, extending dine-in services as late 2am and allowing maximum of 12 to a table– “Return2HK” scheme will be expanded to cover the rest of mainland China in late April, exemptions also offered from mid-May to non-Hong Kong residents crossing the border into […]

Hong Kong’s incentive-laden plan to boost its sluggish Covid-19 vaccination uptake has prompted an outcry from some of the sectors most affected by the looming rules changes.Hailing it as a “new direction in fighting the pandemic”, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Monday unveiled a “vaccine bubble” scheme that would allow for the easing […]

A top Hong Kong health official and local medical experts have stressed that pregnant women should seek the advice of their doctor before getting a BioNTech coronavirus jab and not use the Sinovac vaccine at all after two miscarriages were reported on Wednesday.No direct link has been established between the vaccines and the miscarriages, which […]

Eighty-four community cases of COVID-19 were reported in the northern provinces of Quảng Ninh and Hải Dương on Thursday. Additionally, seven imported cases have been confirmed by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

SIBU: Two new clusters contributed to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state, with 508 cases reported on Sunday (April 18). Read full story

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israelis went about barefaced on Sunday after the order to wear masks outdoors was rescinded in another step towards relative normality thanks to the country’s mass-vaccination against COVID-19. Read full story

KUALA LUMPUR: The Maahad Tahfiz Sains Tanah Merah in Kelantan will be placed under an enhanced movement control order from Monday (April 19) to May 2 after drastic increase in Covid-19 cases there. Read full story

PETALING JAYA: Five new Covid-19 clusters were reported, with three linked to workplaces. Read full story

For days now, as the Covid-19 case count mounted and horrifying hospital admissions surged, Canadians seemed dismayed and asked: how could this happen here, where most people dutifully followed public health guidelines?

In the run up to World TB Day,  WHO has released new data from over 84 countries on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the TB response, and launched new guidelines on systematic TB screening to help countries bridge the gap in diagnosis and care. As a result of COVID-19, notifications of people with […]

The COVAX Facility has notified participating economies that deliveries of doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be delayed in March and April  Delays in securing supplies of SII-produced COVID-19 vaccine doses are due to the increased demand for COVID-19 vaccines in India Separately, participating economies in the COVAX Facility that have been […]

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered devastating consequences for human life and the global economy. Maritime and air transport are two essential activities that underpin global trade and mobility and are key to a sustainable socio-economic recovery. More than 80% of global trade by volume is moved by maritime transport. The global economy depends on […]

This WHO Medical Product Alert refers to falsified COVID-19 Vaccine identified as “BNT162b2” detected in Mexico in February 2021 and recently confirmed as falsified to the WHO. The falsified product was supplied and administered to patients outside authorized vaccination programs. This falsified COVID-19 Vaccine may still be in circulation in the region and may continue […]

The report of the international team on their Wuhan field visit, from 14 January -10 February 2021, was published today as WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for further studies. The report stems from a Member State resolution adopted by consensus at the World Health Assembly in May 2020 and calling on WHO “to […]

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, has appointed Mr Carl Bildt as WHO Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator). In his role as WHO Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator, Carl Bildt will help lead the collective advocacy for the ACT-Accelerator, mobilizing support and resources so it can deliver against its strategy […]

The “Living with the Times” toolkit contains illustrated posters with key messages for older adults on how to maintain their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, while supporting those around them at the same time. Thanks to their unique design, the posters require minimal reading skills, are culturally diverse and aim to engage older adults in […]

For World Health Day, 7 April 2021, WHO is issuing five calls for urgent action to improve health for all people.

“Give a Breath for Health” campaign launched on World Health Day to kickstart global effort for purchasing oxygen and other life-saving supplies and therapeutics Champion goalkeeper Alisson Becker, World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill ambassador for health promotion, is kickstarting a new global fundraising campaign, titled “Give a Breath for Health,” driven by the WHO Foundation […]

The COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) has reviewed reports of rare cases of blood clots with low platelets following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (including Covishield) since their onset a few weeks ago. At its most recent meeting on 7 April, 2021, the subcommittee reviewed latest information […]

The COVAX Facility has now delivered life-saving vaccines to over 100 economies since making its first international delivery to Ghana on 24 February 2021. So far, more than 38 million doses of vaccines from manufacturers AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Serum Institute of India (SII) have now been delivered, including 61 economies eligible for vaccines through the […]

The world is still failing to develop desperately needed antibacterial treatments, despite growing awareness of the urgent threat of antibiotic resistance, according to report by the World Health Organization. WHO reveals that none of the 43 antibiotics that are currently in clinical development sufficiently address the problem of drug resistance in the world’s most dangerous […]

WHO’s new technical manual on tobacco tax policy and administration shows countries ways to cut down on over US$1.4 trillion in health expenditures and lost productivity due to tobacco use worldwide. Improved tobacco taxation policies can also be a key component of building back better after COVID-19, where countries need additional resources to respond and to […]

Disruption to HIV services as high as 75% has been reported in some countries—to prevent increased AIDS-related deaths, HIV services must continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization and the International Organisation of the Francophonie (IOF) today signed a memorandum of understanding to scale up collaboration and boost access to health services in Francophone countries.  The agreement, finalized at a ceremony held at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva, focuses on advancing universal health coverage, fighting malaria and collaborating on the […]

The World Health Organization’s  new Global Diabetes Compact aims to bring a much-needed boost to efforts to prevent diabetes and bring treatment to all who need it  ̶  100 years after the discovery of insulin. The Compact is being launched today at the Global Diabetes Summit, which is co-hosted by WHO and the Government of […]

When health officials in Ohio’s Mercer County opened their first Covid-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic in January, available slots filled up instantly, and more than 500 people were vaccinated in a single day.

PETALING JAYA: SJK (C) Pin Hwa 1 in Shah Alam will be closed until April 22 after two more pupils tested positive for Covid-19. Read full story

Since the pandemic started, more employers agree that training will help employees be more resilient (93% in 2021 vs 84% in 2020). However, only 62% are currently training or intend to train their workforce. Businesses in severely affected industries are more likely to turn to train their employees (73%) compared to those in other industries […]

Australia is in “no hurry” to open its international borders and risk the success that the country has had with the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday.

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): The Communications and Multimedia Ministry has submitted an application for media practitioners to be given priority in phase two of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. Read full story

Salavanh and Savannakhet provinces are on high alert following a new case of Covid-19 after a man and a woman illegally crossed the border from Thailand. According to a notice issued by the National Taskforce, a 32-year-old man from Nateuy Village, Khongsedon District, Salavanh Province has been confirmed as the 54th case of Covid-19 in […]

KOTA BARU (Bernama): Kelantan on Sunday (April 18) recorded the highest Covid-19 infectivity rate (Rt) or R-nought (R0) in the country, at 1.32, compared with the national rate of 1.19. Read full story

Hong Kong will allow those aged under 30 to start booking their Covid-19 jabs next week in an expansion of the city’s vaccination programme, the government has announced.Top officials on Thursday also revealed Hong Kong would not be acquiring a third type of vaccine this year, as they urged residents with a preference for the […]

April 18, 2021 3:37 PM This takes Singapore’s total to 60,831.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia recorded 2,195 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday (April 18), bringing the cumulative total to 375,054. Read full story

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel rescinded the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors and fully reopened schools on Sunday in the latest return to relative normality, boosted by a mass-vaccination campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic. Read full story

April 18, 2021 3:00 PM SINGAPORE – When pre-schooler Nur Humairah Romi Nazri asked her mother if she could wash the dishes, she was not tall enough to reach the kitchen sink.

Security guard Mona Tsang* was distraught when her first grandchild was born in January and she could not be present for the birth. Her elder son and daughter-in-law live in Guangdong, and the Covid-19 pandemic stopped her from going to be with them.Eager to see her baby granddaughter, Tsang got herself vaccinated as soon as […]

Authorities are investigating alleged violations of coronavirus social-distancing rules at the headquarters of the Scout Association of Hong Kong in Kowloon, where a banquet of more than 100 people was held – five times greater than the legal limit.The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department conducted a joint […]

Salaries for locally hired foreign domestic helpers could be pushed up as much as 30 per cent amid keen demand if a new flight ban mechanism aimed at keeping an emerging coronavirus variant out of Hong Kong makes it harder for workers to reach the city, employment agency bosses have warned.The new regulations came into […]

As health experts worry about a Covid-19 resurgence, an influential forecasting team said the country did not make significant progress against the virus this week. And it warned about Americans taking fewer safety precautions.

Thailand on Sunday recorded yet another daily record number of Covid-19 cases — 1,767 — bringing the accumulated number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 42,352. Two new deaths were reported, raising the toll to 101.

States across the country are reporting a rise in Covid-19 cases. But in one state — Michigan — another surge has overwhelmed hospitals and healthcare workers who were already exhausted, one local health leader says.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): A total of 439,286 individuals have received both doses of their vaccine, in the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as at Saturday (April 17), said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. Read full story

MOSCOW: Like millions of people around the world, Yuri Nekrasov stopped going to the grocery store every day last year when authorities in Moscow enforced a coronavirus lockdown.

Four new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Laos today, with all cases concerning Lao migrant workers returning home from Thailand. The announcement was made at a press conference held in Vientiane Capital today lead by Dr. Lattanaxay Phetsouvanh, Director-General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control, under the Ministry of Health. Case 55 […]

Hong Kong detected the first mutant coronavirus infection in the community on Friday, with officials ordering the lockdown of a building in the Jordan neighbourhood over the case in a move to curb an outbreak.Authorities cordoned off Parkes Building on 17-23 Parkes Street at 11.30pm for mandatory screening after a resident who tested preliminary-positive was […]

Thailand on Sunday recorded yet another daily record number of Covid-19 cases — 1,767 — bringing the accumulated number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 42,352. Two new deaths were reported, raising the toll to 101.

As the number of Covid-19 cases in the third wave soars, several people including celebrities are turning to social media in a desperate attempt to find hospital beds for their families and friends.

PETALING JAYA: The Sarawak state-owned television station TVS will be shutting its newsroom down temporarily as one of its presenters has tested positive for Covid-19, said Sarawak Media Group chief executive officer Suhaimi Sulaiman. Read full story

The Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh has been placed into a two-week lockdown as the country looks to halt a rapidly growing wave of COVID-19. The post Cambodian capital Phnom Penh goes into two-week lockdown appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Cambodia decided Wednesday to lock down the country’s capital Phnom Penh for the first time since the novel coronavirus outbreak began early last year. The post Cambodia locks down Phnom Penh as coronavirus continues to spread appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

The double whammy of packaging defects and more adverse reports on the possible side effects of Covid-19 vaccines in Hong Kong have caused a 35 per cent drop in overall inoculations in the city, with health experts warning it might take more than a year, instead of 300 days as expected, to reach herd immunity.Government […]

A Facebook post by the Hong Kong government’s publicity arm about arrangements for the community Covid-19 testing programme last summer has emerged as its most read message in 2020, with a reach of 863,404, authorities have revealed.The second and third most read messages were also posts appealing to Hongkongers to take part in the testing […]

Hong Kong authorities have imposed their “toughest infection-control measures” to quarantine about 80 residents of a Jordan building for 21 days, after a man staying there was found to be infected with the city’s first community-detected mutant coronavirus strain.The city confirmed 18 new cases on Saturday, eight of them locally transmitted – the highest number […]

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India reported a record daily increase of 261,500 coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Sunday. Read full story

TOKYO (Reuters) – Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has agreed to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s request to supply additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine minister of Japan said on Sunday. Read full story

Hong Kong authorities have doubled down on their warnings of a possible spike in Covid-19 cases, amid a scramble to trace the infection source of the city’s first locally detected mutant coronavirus strain.The call on Sunday followed 18 new infections confirmed a day before, pushing the official tally to 11,653, with 209 related deaths.The city […]

Most Mainland Chinese small businesses have or expect to recover from COVID-19 in 2021. Sixty-four per cent of small businesses expect their revenue to grow in 2021. Forty-two per cent of small business expect to increase employee headcount in 2021. BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach – 16 April 2021 – The small business sector in […]

Spiralling COVID-19 cases have put Cambodia “on the brink of death”, its premier Hun Sen has warned, as the country imposed lockdowns in the capital Phnom Penh and a nearby city. The post Cambodia’s Hun Sen says country on ‘brink of death’ from COVID-19 surge appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia is no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk the country’s nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Read full story

SIBU: Residents in the urban area here now face a very high risk of contracting Covid-19, says Dr Annuar Rapaee. Read full story

AYUTTHAYA: People who visited the Central Shrimp Market in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district during March 30-April 15 are urged to get a Covid-19 test at the market on Sunday from 8.00am-2.00pm free of charge, provincial governor Panu Yaemsri announced.

Cambodia decided to extend a night curfew in capital Phnom Penh for another two weeks from April 15 to 28 after the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise. The post Cambodia extends night curfew in capital for 2 more weeks amid rising COVID-19 cases appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Cambodia brought in a coronavirus lockdown in Phnom Penh and a satellite district of the capital on Thursday in a bid to contain a spike in coronavirus cases in a country that up until recently had largely managed to contain infections. The post Cambodia launches lockdown in capital as COVID-19 outbreak spreads appeared first on […]

Cambodia’s leader ordered a strict stay-at-home two-week lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh starting Thursday to slow a surge in coronavirus cases, warning “we will die unless we act responsibly.” The post Cambodia orders strict 2-week lockdown of Phnom Penh appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Workers from Hong Kong’s pubs, karaoke bars and mahjong parlours have started a four-day hunger strike outside the city’s legislature to pressure the government into allowing them to reopen as new coronavirus infections have remained low.Although authorities relaxed social-distancing measures and reopened beaches and public swimming pools on Friday ahead of the Easter break, pubs, […]

Cambodia’s government has imposed a two-week lockdown for the country’s capital Phnom Penh amid a surge in coronavirus cases. The post Cambodia imposes 2-week lockdown in capital appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Cambodia on Friday confirmed 262 new COVID-19 cases and two more fatalities in the past 24 hours, the country’s Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement. The post Cambodia reports 262 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

Cambodia brought in a coronavirus lockdown in Phnom Penh and a satellite district of the capital on Thursday in a bid to contain a spike in coronavirus cases in a country that up until recently had largely managed to contain infections. The post Cambodia launches lockdown in capital as COVID-19 outbreak spreads appeared first on […]

After months of low cast numbers, Cambodia’s worsening outbreak suggests that COVID-19 is far from being defeated in the region. The post Cambodian Leader Warns COVID-19 Has His Nation on ‘the Brink of Death’ appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

April 18, 2021 5:00 AM Side effects tend to be more pronounced in those with more robust immune systems, such as young people.

Cambodia on Saturday registered 291 new COVID-19 cases and one more death in the last 24 hours, the country’s Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement. The post Cambodia logs 291 new COVID-19 cases, 1 more death appeared first on The Cambodia Daily.

The Department of Medical Services (DMS) is urging those who have tested positive for Covid-19 to seek treatment at hospitals, amid growing concerns about spreading the virus to vulnerable family members.

Siam Bioscience Co, the local biotechnology firm contracted to manufacture the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand, said it is confident that it will be able to deliver the vaccines on time once they have passed the required checks.

The country struggling to contain a Covid-19 surge faces a possible explosion of poverty.

Doctors say they are homing in on the cause of blood clots that may be linked with certain coronavirus vaccines, and add their findings have important implications for how to treat the condition, regardless of whether vaccines cause it.

Intellasia East Asia News Earlier in the day, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Nayong Pilipino would be used as a mega vaccination site as part of a bid to boost the rollout. The Food and Drug Administration also said it would create updated guidelines on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine within the week. […]

Intellasia East Asia News The number of COVID-19 patients calling the government’s One Hospital Command centre (OHCC) to seek assistance in hospitalisation jumped three-fold over the past months. “From a daily average of less than a hundred, suddenly a surge of around 400 calls so even the call-takers the coordinators manning the command, not only […]