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April
Moderna applies for emergency COVID-19 vaccine use in the Philippines
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) on Monday filed an application for emergency use authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, Food and Drug Administration chief Rolando Enrique Domingo told reporters.
The Philippines expects the delivery of 194,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine in May, and another one million shots in July.
The Philippines, which is battling one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia, has so far approved the emergency use of six vaccines in the country. (Reuters)
April
Hong Kong, Singapore to start long-delayed travel bubble next month
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. A long delayed travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will begin on May 26, the two cities said on Monday, as they moved to re-establish overseas travel links and lift the hurdle of quarantine for visiting foreigners.
The bubble between two of Asia's biggest financial hubs had been slated to begin last November but was suspended after a spike in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.
The scheme will start with one flight a day into each city, with up to 200 travellers on each flight, Hong Kong's Commerce Secretary Edward Yau and Singapore's Transport Minister Ong Ye Ku said at simultaneous press events.
Those wanting to travel from either city must test negative for COVID-19 before departure and on arrival. Hong Kong residents can also only fly to Singapore at least 14 days after they have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Travellers on the route - which attracted 15-20 flights a day each way before coronavirus - won't have to quarantine and there will be no restrictions on the purpose of travel.
However, if the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong the scheme will be suspended, Yau and Ong said.
"The re-launch ... signifies that gradual resumption of cross-border travel is achievable through mutual collaborations among different places," said Yau.
For Hong Kong, which has banned non-residents since March 2020, the deal with Singapore is its first bilateral resumption of travel ties with another city.
Eligible Hong Kong residents in the mainland and Macau will be exempt from quarantine in the Asian financial city from as early as this week, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said on Monday.
Singapore already has some pacts on essential business and official travel, and has opened unilaterally to general visitors from countries including Brunei Darussalam, China and New Zealand. Singapore has also been discussing an air travel bubble with Australia.
Both Hong Kong and Singapore said they are in talks with places including New Zealand and Australia for similar travel bubbles. The Asian cities have brought the local virus situation largely under control compared with other developed cities.
New cases, however, have inched up in the past week, with Hong Kong reporting local transmission of a COVID-19 variant with the N501Y mutated strain and Singapore investigating possible COVID-19 reinfection cases at a migrant worker dormitory. The dormitories were at the centre of Singapore's outbreak last year with thousands of cases.
Singapore work permit holders employed in construction, marine shipyard or process sectors, many of whom live in dormitories, are excluded from the bubble.
Cathay Pacific (0293.HK) and Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) would be the carriers for the initial flights, authorities said.
"To get this bubble up successfully, I think we'll have a significant signalling effect to the rest of the world," said Singapore's Ong.
(Reuters)
April
Thailand starts stricter COVID-19 shutdown, but experts say not enough
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Thailand’s government slapped restrictions on travel from India on Monday over concerns of imported coronavirus cases and closed more venues in Bangkok, even as it came under fire for not doing enough to contain a spike in infections.
The government has ordered parks, gyms, cinemas and day-care centres in its capital, the epicentre of the latest wave of infections, to shut from April 26 until May 9.
It has also introduced a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($635) for not wearing masks in public, with even the prime minister falling foul of mask-wearing rules. read more
But unlike last year, malls and restaurants have been allowed to operate with earlier closing times, fuelling concerns this could quickly lead to more infection clusters and prompting calls for the resignation of the country's health minister.
Comparing the government's COVID-19 response to playing a game of Whac-A-Mole, Thira Woratanarat, a professor at Chulalongkorn University's Preventive and Social Medicine, warned "shutting places and activities one at a time would not be enough".
People should prepare for more clusters especially in work places, food courts and public transportation, he cautioned in a post on Facebook.
Thailand has managed to keep its caseload lower than many countries, but the latest outbreak has resulted in 57,508 infections and 148 deaths in just under 30 days. It reported 2,048 new cases on Monday, of which 901 were in Bangkok.
"They shouldn't wait until there is a new outbreak to come up with regulations," said Ungkana Kesornphud, who owns a massage shop in Bangkok.
The president of Thailand's Thoracic Society, Nithiphat Chiarakun, also urged the government to take "decisive measures to stop the movement of people as quickly as possible".
An online petition on Change.org calling for the resignation of health minister Anutin Charnvirankul had garnered over 160,000 signatures in two days.
Anutin has said he will not resign.
The city of Bangkok fined Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha 6,000 baht ($190) after he posted a photo of him not wearing a mask during a meeting. read more
The photo was later removed.
Thailand plans to procure more vaccines from several producers with a vaccination goal of 300,000 doses per day to inoculate at least 50 million people by end-2021, the prime minister posted. read more
Thailand has a population of about 66.1 million.
INDIA TRAVEL CURBS
Thailand will consider additional restrictions later this week, Apisamai Srirangsan, a spokeswoman for its coronavirus taskforce said at a briefing, after the country announced curbs on travel from India where infections have set a global record for a fifth straight day. read more
The Thai embassy in New Delhi said in a statement that certificates of entry for non-Thai nationals travelling from India will be suspended until further notice.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) denied reports that private jets carrying wealthy people from India were flying into Thailand.
"We confirm that no chartered flights from Indian millionaires have sought permission from the CAAT to come to Thailand," it said in a statement over the weekend. (Reuters)
April
Japan's defense ministry to open mass vaccination centre in Tokyo
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Japan will open a mass vaccination centre in central Tokyo next month, officials said on Tuesday, part of the country's bid to speed up its COVID-19 inoculation campaign as the Olympic Games looms.
Japan imposed a third state of emergency in its major population centres on Sunday, as the country attempts to combat a fourth wave of infections with just 87 days remaining until the scheduled start of the Games.
The Defense Ministry tweeted it had been asked by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to set up the Tokyo vaccination centre by May 24 with plans for it to operate for three months. The facility will service residents in the capital and the surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa. read more
Local media reported the government planned to use Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) vaccine to inoculate about 10,000 people each day at the centre. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said those decisions had not yet been made.
Meanwhile, Toyota City in central Japan said it was setting up vaccination centres with the help of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T). The carmaker will offer up about 450 staff and four sites to start operations on May 30, city officials said in a statement.
Japan began vaccinating its sizable elderly population this month but only about 1.5% of the country's entire 126 million population has been inoculated, according to a Reuters tracker.
Officials have so far been dependent on limited imported doses of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) vaccine, but vaccine minister Taro Kono has said he expects the programme to pick up in May when Pfizer shipments are due to accelerate.
Kono is also hopeful that regulators will soon approve Moderna's vaccine and AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) vaccine - of which it has ordered 50 million and 120 million doses respectively. read more
Japan has recorded about 564,000 COVID-19 cases, including 9,969 deaths. (Reuters)
April
Myanmar's junta to 'positively' consider ASEAN suggestion on ending crisis
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Myanmar's junta will give "careful consideration to constructive suggestions" from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on ways to resolve violent turmoil triggered by a Feb. 1 coup, the junta said.
"The suggestions would be positively considered if it ... serves the interests of the country and was based on purposes and principles enshrined in" ASEAN, it said in a statement published on Tuesday.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended an ASEAN meeting in Indonesia on the weekend at which the bloc issued a so-called five-point consensus on steps to end the violence and promote dialogue between the rival Myanmar sides. (Reuters)
April
Rush to hospitals, big gatherings worsen India COVID crisis - WHO
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. People in India are rushing unnecessarily to hospital, exacerbating a crisis over surging COVID-19 infections caused by mass gatherings, more contagious variants and low vaccination rates, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
India's death toll is now pushing towards 200,000, and hospitals that do not have enough oxygen supplies and beds are turning away coronavirus patients. read more
The WHO is providing critical equipment and supplies to India, including 4,000 oxygen concentrators, which only require an energy source, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said.
Less than 15% of people infected with COVID-19 actually need hospital care and even fewer will need oxygen, he said.
"Currently, part of the problem is that many people rush to the hospital (also because they do not have access to information/advice), even though home-based care monitoring at home can be managed very safely," Jasarevic said.
Community-level centres should screen and triage patients and provide advice on safe home care, while information is also made available via hotlines or dashboards, he said.
"As is true in any country, WHO has said the combination of relaxing of personal protective measures, mass gatherings and more contagious variants while vaccine coverage is still low can create a perfect storm," he said. (Reuters)
April
Explosive-laden boat destroyed off Yanbu port - Saudi state TV
Written by Nur YasminJakarta. The Saudi navy has intercepted and destroyed a remote-controlled explosive- laden boat off the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Saudi state TV reported on Tuesday, citing the Saudi defense ministry.
Investigations are ongoing to identify those behind the attack, it added. (Reuters)
April
Denmark firm on returning refugees to war-torn Syria
Written by Nur YasminJakarta. Despite mounting pressure from lawmakers and civil society organisations, Denmark is determined to push ahead with efforts to return Syrian refugees to war-torn Syria as it claims conditions in parts of the country have improved.
The Nordic country decided last year to review hundreds of residency permits for Syrian asylum seekers after immigration authorities said conditions in the capital Damascus and surrounding areas had improved.
In response, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Danish parliament last week to protest the move to revoke residency permits, echoing calls from NGOs and EU-lawmakers, who say Syria is not safe to return to.
"Denmark has been open and honest from day one. We have made it clear to the Syrian refugees that their residence permit is temporary and that the permit can be revoked if the need for protection ceases to exist," Immigration Minister Mattias Tesfaye told Reuters on Tuesday.
Since 2019, more than 200 Syrian nationals from the Damascus region have had their residency permit revoked by Denmark out of more than 600 cases, that were reviewed, according to the Danish Immigration Service.
The same year, the government started offering Syrians money for leaving the country, around 175,000 Danish crowns ($28,427) per person.
At least 250 Syrian nationals have voluntarily returned to Syria with financial support from Denmark since 2019.
"When the conditions in their home country have improved, former refugees should return to the home country and re-establish their life there," Tesfaye said.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, EU-lawmakers on Friday expressed regret at Denmark's efforts to "expel Syrian refugees" and urged Frederiksen to make a "180-degree turnaround" in the country's asylum policy.
"Deportations to a country at war must never be normal. Denmark should not take a vanguard role here," it said in the letter signed by 33 lawmakers from 12 member states, including Germany and France.
Sweden and the United Kingdom have also concluded that the general conditions in Syria's capital region have improved.
But the Danish Refugee Council, an NGO, said Denmark was the only country in Europe to start systematically rescinding Syrian refugees' residence permits on those grounds.
Both the European Council and the European Parliament have issued declarations saying conditions are not in place for the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
Similarly, the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, has called on states not to forcibly return Syrian nationals to any part of Syria, even those areas controlled by the government, such as the capital region. (Reuters)
April
Thailand starts stricter COVID-19 shutdown, but experts say not enough
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Thailand's government slapped restrictions on travel from India on Monday over concerns of imported coronavirus cases and closed more venues in Bangkok, even as it came under fire for not doing enough to contain a spike in infections.
The government has ordered parks, gyms, cinemas and day-care centres in its capital, the epicentre of the latest wave of infections, to shut from April 26 until May 9.
It has also introduced a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($635) for not wearing masks in public, with even the prime minister falling foul of mask-wearing rules. read more
But unlike last year, malls and restaurants have been allowed to operate with earlier closing times, fuelling concerns this could quickly lead to more infection clusters and prompting calls for the resignation of the country's health minister.
Comparing the government's COVID-19 response to playing a game of Whac-A-Mole, Thira Woratanarat, a professor at Chulalongkorn University's Preventive and Social Medicine, warned "shutting places and activities one at a time would not be enough".
People should prepare for more clusters especially in work places, food courts and pubic transportation, he cautioned in a post on Facebook.
Thailand has managed to keep its caseload lower than many countries, but the latest outbreak has resulted in 57,508 infections and 148 deaths in just under 30 days. It reported 2,048 new cases on Monday, of which 901 were in Bangkok.
"They shouldn't wait until there is a new outbreak to come up with regulations," said Ungkana Kesornphud, who owns a massage shop in Bangkok.
The president of Thailand's Thoracic Society, Nithiphat Chiarakun, also urged the government to take "decisive measures to stop the movement of people as quickly as possible".
An online petition on Change.org calling for the resignation of health minister Anutin Charnvirankul had garnered over 160,000 signatures in two days.
Anutin has said he will not resign.
The city of Bangkok fined Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha 6,000 baht ($190) after he posted a photo of him not wearing a mask during a meeting. read more
The photo was later removed.
Thailand plans to procure more vaccines from several producers with a vaccination goal of 300,000 doses per day to inoculate at least 50 million people by end-2021, the prime minister posted. read more
Thailand has a population of about 66.1 million.
INDIA TRAVEL CURBS
Thailand will consider additional restrictions later this week, Apisamai Srirangsan, a spokeswoman for its coronavirus taskforce said at a briefing, after the country announced curbs on travel from India where infections have set a global record for a fifth straight day. read more
The Thai embassy in New Delhi said in a statement that certificates of entry for non-Thai nationals travelling from India will be suspended until further notice.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) denied reports that private jets carrying wealthy people from India were flying into Thailand.
"We confirm that no chartered flights from Indian millionaires have sought permission from the CAAT to come to Thailand," it said in a statement over the weekend. (Reuters)
April
Malaysia says AstraZeneca vaccine safe, will be used for over 60s
Written by Nur Yasmin
Jakarta. Malaysian health authorities on Monday said the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca (AZN.L) is safe for use, three days after the Southeast Asian nation received its first batch of the shots bought through the global COVAX facility.
Some countries have limited or halted its use over possible links to blood clotting. AstraZeneca says regulatory reviews in Britain and Europe have noted its vaccine offers a high level of protection and that its benefits far outweigh any risks
"I confirm the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is safe, and it will be administered to those aged 60 years and older," Health Minister Adham Baba said in a televised news conference.
Malaysia received its first shipment of nearly 270,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine on Friday. read more
Ministry officials said the vaccine was found to be "suitable for use" for those aged 60 and older, and were looking into the available data before approving it for use for other age groups.
Malaysia secured a total of 12.8 million doses from AstraZeneca, half of which will come via the COVAX facility. It was slated to receive the first 600,000 doses in June. (Reuters)