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July
Singapore intends to donate its COVID-19 vaccines under COVAX initiative to other countries: PM Lee
Written by nuke
PM Lee participated in the APEC Informal Leaders' Retreat on Jul 16. (Photo: MCI) -
Singapore intends to donate its COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative to other countries, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (Jul 16).
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19, Mr Lee said that countries whose vaccination programmes are ahead should make their excess vaccine supplies available to others.
"Within our region, APEC economies should support one another, both for the present and future pandemics. For example, through technical assistance to strengthen national public health capabilities, the last mile," he said.
Singapore's Ministry of Health said on Friday that more than 6.57 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination scheme, with more than 2.54 million having completed the full vaccination regimen.
The COVAX initiative, run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, aims to provide "equitable access" to COVID-19 vaccines to people around the globe, said the WHO.
The virtual meeting on Friday was hosted by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and was attended by world leaders, US President Joe Biden, Russia President Vladimir Putin, and China President Xi Jinping.
In his speech, Mr Lee said APEC members should take the lead to reconnect economies and pursue trade liberalisation. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted international trade and the movement of people across borders.
"Understandably, countries are working towards more self-reliance, especially for essential goods, but we should not take this too far," Mr Lee said.
"Free trade is still essential to global economic recovery and prosperity and prompt implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement will make trade faster and cheaper, and strengthen our supply chains.
"We should also work together to restart international travel safely, by developing common standards for digital vaccine certificates and digital identities."
He added that the pandemic has "accelerated the switch to a digital economy", nothing that Singapore has piloted digital economy agreements with New Zealand, Chile and Australia.
These agreements align rules and standards, and "foster cross-border digital interoperability, data flows and trade", Mr Lee said.
"Beyond COVID-19, the green economy presents another growth opportunity. Like many APEC economies, Singapore is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change," he added.
Mr Lee mentioned the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a national strategy aimed at mitigating climate change and creating a green, liveable and sustainable city.
"But being a very small country, our own mitigation efforts will have limited impact," he said.
"It is only by working together with others that we can overcome this global challenge, and that is why Singapore is exploring green economy agreements to facilitate trade and investment in environmental goods and services, and strengthen environmental governance and capabilities."
In his speech, Mr Lee called for countries to work together to prepare for the next pandemic.
"COVID-19 will not be the last, nor the most serious pandemic the world will face," he said.
He noted a recent report by the G20 High Level Independent Panel that makes a strong case for a major step-up in collective investments, including a scaled-up global surveillance system for emerging infectious disease outbreaks.
"To enable countries to act early to check the spread of emerging diseases, and get a head-start in developing test kits, vaccines or treatments; and secondly, we need a more agile global governance and financing mechanism that can swiftly plug gaps in global health security," said Mr Lee//CNA
July
Philippines tightens curbs after detecting first local cases of Delta variant
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Philippines has recorded the country's first locally acquired cases of the more infectious Delta variant, prompting authorities to reimpose stricter coronavirus measures in some areas as health experts sought bans on social gatherings.
The Southeast Asian country is battling one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia, but infection numbers have been declining since peaking in March and April, allowing for a gradual relaxation of restrictions.
Sixteen people had been found with the Delta variant, including five who had returned from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Britain between April and June, health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a news conference.
The other 11 were locally acquired cases, including a cluster of five people in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro. One patient had died after being hospitalised in Manila on June 28.
"The spread of COVID-19 globally, while being controlled by vaccination, is still being driven by these variants of concern," said Vergeire, as authorities announced a tightening of restrictions in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental province.
In May, the Philippines recorded its first Delta cases in two workers who returned from the United Arab Emirates and Oman. read more
"Mutation from the local population does not happen. It must have been introduced from foreign travelers," Cynthia Saloma, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, told the news conference.
Philippine authorities have been scrambling to try and stop the variant from spreading after it has helped trigger a surge in infections across the region. The Philippines has banned travellers from eight countries including India, Indonesia and the UAE until the end of July. read more
But while tightening border controls to keep the variant out, authorities have been loosening other curbs, including allowing limited gatherings and permitting children aged five and above to go outdoors.
With more than 1.49 million cases and 26,314 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest number of infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, and the detection of the Delta variant could slow the country's return to normality.
"We need to make sure no mass gatherings are held, and even small gatherings for families and work groups," Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim, a technical adviser for the health ministry, said, warning of the risk of "super-spreader events".
The sluggish rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is another reason for authorities to be nervous.
The Philippines has so far fully immunised only 3.9% of its 110 million population, government data show. (Reuters)
July
World Bank trims East Asia, Pacific GDP forecast amid COVID-19 concerns
Written by Nur Yasmin
Growth in East Asia and the Pacific this year will likely be slower than previously thought, the World Bank said on Thursday, as many countries in the region grapple with spikes in COVID-19 cases, new variantsand vaccine supply constraints.
The East Asia and Pacific region, excluding China, is expected to grow 4% this year, World Bank President David Malpass said, down from a 4.4% forecast in March, with countries like conflict-torn Myanmar facing a deeper-than-expected slump.
Including China, which the global lender said will likely grow 8.5% in 2021, the region is expected to expand by 7.7% this year, faster than a 7.4% projection made in March, Malpass told a streamed news conference.
The speed by which nations could roll out vaccines remained a risk to the outlook, with many countries in the region unlikely to be able to fully vaccinate their population until 2024, Malpass said.
"The immediate priority for developing countries is widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines that match their deployment programmes," Malpass said.
The World Bank chief said he is concerned about developing nations falling behind in what has become a two-speed recovery with advanced economies posting a stronger rebound as more of their people get fully vaccinated.
"This is the reason why we have a major focus on expanding the reach of vaccines," said Malpass, who earlier this month announced the bank was raising financing for COVID-19 vaccine purchases and deployment to $20 billion from its previous target of $12 billion.
Malpass again urged advanced economies to give up excess doses of COVID-19 vaccines for developing countries which are facing greater needs.
Unlike countries like Britain and Germany which are preparing to remove most remaining restrictions, many in the region are reimposing targeted lockdowns to arrest a surge in cases and control the spread of more contagious variants.
The worsening COVID-19 crisis in Myanmar, which has been in turmoil since its military took power in a coup on Feb. 1, could push its economy into a "bigger contraction" this year, Malpass said. The World Bank forecast a 10% slump in Myanmar's economy in March. (Reuters)
July
China missing from itinerary of U.S. diplomat's second Asia tour
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit Japan, South Korea and Mongolia next week, the State Department said, making no mention of any stop in China that had been anticipated in foreign policy circles and reported in some media.
After the State Department announcement on Thursday, sources told Reuters that Washington was preparing to impose sanctions on Friday on Chinese officials over Beijing's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and to issue a warning to international businesses operating there about worsening conditions. read more
President Joe Biden said the situation in Hong Kong was "deteriorating" when asked about plans for the advisory at a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The United States and China are locked in a deeply troubled relationship, having had little high-level, face-to-face contact since a first senior diplomatic meeting under the Biden administration in March in Alaska, where the Chinese side expressed anger at U.S. sanctions announced just ahead of the talks.
Before that meeting, Washington had taken a flurry of actions, including a move to begin revoking Chinese telecoms licenses, subpoenas to multiple Chinese information technology companies over national security concerns, and updated sanctions over Hong Kong.
Sherman's trip will be her second to Asia in less than two months, after visits to Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand in late May and early June. read more
The State Department said she would discuss a range of issues with officials in Japan, including the climate crisis and enhancing global health security.
It said Sherman and Japanese and South Korean counterparts would hold a joint meeting to discuss cooperation on North Korea and other issues, including climate change and global health.
She will hold further talks in Seoul before heading to Ulaanbaatar to reinforce the U.S. Mongolia Strategic Partnership, the statement said, adding the trip would run from July 18-25.
It said Sherman would "reaffirm the U.S. commitment to working with allies and partners to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and to upholding the international rules-based order," language the State Department uses to refer to its efforts to push back against China.
On Friday, Biden will take part in a virtual meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group, APEC, which will discuss ending the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting the global economic recovery, the White House said.
It said it would be Biden's first engagement with many APEC leaders, particularly those in Southeast Asia, and he would "emphasize the importance he places on the region as well as his vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a virtual meeting with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) this week and said Washington rejects China's "unlawful" maritime claims in the South China Sea and stands with Southeast Asian countries facing Chinese "coercion." read more
That meeting came amid concerns among diplomats and others that Washington has not been paying sufficient attention to a region crucial to its strategy to counter China. (Reuters)
July
Sinovac's vaccine finds supporters in Singapore despite effectiveness questions elsewhere
Written by Nur Yasmin
Sinovac's (SVA.O) COVID-19 vaccine, under growing scrutiny over its effectiveness, has found a small but determined group of takers in Singapore - even though the country does not count them as being vaccinated in its official tally.
Singapore provides the more effective mRNA shots from Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) and Moderna (MRNA.O) free under its national vaccination programme but thousands have chosen to pay as much as S$25 ($18.5) for Sinovac's CoronaVac.
"I personally don't trust (mRNA) results, compared with something that is traditional, which has been used for over 100 years," said Tan Bin Seng, a retired Singaporean doctor, referring to inactivated-virus vaccines.
Some see no downside to taking the China-made vaccine, which is based on more established technology, as cases in Singapore are few. They say they are less confident in the long-term safety of newly developed messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.
Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam said many of the locals signing up at his Rophi Clinic for Sinovac were in their 60s and echoed such fears.
Safety concerns have been amplified on social media, where locals share posts and experiences about the side effects of the mRNA vaccines.
Europe's drug regulator last week said it had found a possible link between very rare heart inflammation and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, in line with U.S. findings last month, though both said benefits of the shots far outweigh the risks. read more Allergic reactions have been also reported after mRNA shots.
So far, regulators have mostly raised concerns about Sinovac's efficacy, and there have been few reports of adverse effects.
Private clinics in Singapore had given more than 17,000 doses of CoronaVac as of early July. read more More than 6 million total doses of mRNA vaccine have been given in the city-state, and about 2.4 million people are fully vaccinated with them.
As of July 1, Pfizer has shipped more than 860 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.
EFFECTIVENESS
Singapore, which has made vaccination a key pillar of its reopening plans, has reported many fewer cases than its neighbours, where fresh outbreaks have raised doubts about CoronaVac's efficacy against new virus variants.
Thailand this week said it would use the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) vaccine as a second dose for those who received the Sinovac shot, while Indonesia is considering a booster shot for those who received the two-dose Sinovac course.
The mRNA vaccines have shown efficacy rates of well over 90% against symptomatic disease in clinical trials, compared with trials for Sinovac that have shown results from as low as 51% to about 84%.
"There is no harm in taking Sinovac, its efficacy rate may be relatively lower but the risk of getting COVID-19 in Singapore is very low," said Singapore-based Chinese national Luo Qiufeng, 25.
Singapore, which has close ties with Beijing and Washington, gave the Sinovac vaccine an early vote of confidence through an advance purchase announced in December, which also included Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
But it has only allowed private clinics to give the Sinovac vaccine after last month's emergency use approval by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Singapore doesn't want to upset Beijing," said Chong Ja Ian, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore. With Sinovac, it has taken an "in-between route", where it is allowing people to take it if they want, but not really endorsing it, he said.
Singapore's health ministry has said that making CoronaVac available at private clinics allows access for those who do not wish to take the approved vaccines and that it was better to have some form of protection against COVID-19 than no protection at all.
NOT COUNTED
Singapore-based Chinese citizens say they were also encouraged by vague online messages that imply China-made vaccines will make it easier to travel home. China does not have such a policy, and official government guidance states travellers will have to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status.
"It just feels like China would give more recognition to Chinese-made vaccines," said Chinese software engineer Cedric Lin, 29.
StarMed Specialist Centre had vaccinated 1,500 people, with another 4,000 bookings, CEO Louis Tan said. Half of the demand was coming from Chinese nationals, while the rest was mainly from ethnic Chinese Singaporeans.
Singapore has said it would not count Sinovac takers in its vaccination tally because of inadequate data, especially against the highly contagious Delta variant.
Incentives for being vaccinated under the national programme include not having to be tested for COVID-19 before attending some events. Those who have taken CoronaVac will still need to be tested.
The move has triggered an online petition to treat Sinovac like mRNA shots. About 2,000 people have signed it. (Reuters)
July
Officials, Taliban strike ceasefire deal in western Afghanistan, says provincial governor
Written by Nur Yasmin
Government officials in a western Afghan province said on Thursday they had negotiated "an indefinite ceasefire" with the Taliban to prevent further attacks on the capital of the province.
The move came after fighters from the Islamist group secured complete control over all the districts in Badghis province, reflecting wider gains by the Taliban over territory and infrastructure in the weeks since U.S. President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops by Sept. 11.
"Ten tribal elders had taken the responsibility of ceasefire, so they first talked to the Taliban, and then talked to the local government and both sides reached a ceasefire," the provincial governor, Husamuddin Shams, told Reuters.
The Taliban reached an agreement with the tribal elders to move to the outskirts of Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis, Shams said.
A spokesman for the Taliban denied they had agreed to a ceasefire but said they had left the city to avoid civilian casualties.
"Qala-e-Naw is the only city in Afghanistan where the Taliban announced a ceasefire," said Abdul Aziz Bek, the head of the provincial council in Badghis.
Afghan officials in the capital, Kabul, were not available to comment.
There were conflicting reports on Thursday about who was in control of a major trading town on the border with Pakistan. The Spin Boldak-Chaman border post is the second most important crossing on the Pakistan border and a major source of revenue for the Western-backed government in Kabul.
A senior Afghan government official said on Thursday security forces had retaken control of the town hours after the Taliban seized it on Wednesday.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed that and said his forces still held it.
"It is merely propaganda and a baseless claim by the Kabul administration," he told Reuters.
The defence ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Pakistan, worried about a spillover of fighting, has shut its side of the Spin Boldak-Chaman border, which lies on the main commercial artery between the second Afghan city of Kandahar and Pakistani ports.
CLASHES HAVE INTENSIFIED
Clashes between the Taliban and government forces have intensified as U.S.-led international forces have been withdrawing. The Taliban have captured several districts and border crossings in the north and west.
The government has accused the Taliban of destroying hundreds of government buildings in 29 of the country's 34 provinces. The Taliban deny accusations of extensive destruction by their fighters.
A senior Afghan government official in Kabul, Nader Nadery, said the security forces were working to push back Taliban fighters and regain control over 190 districts.
The deteriorating security situation has raised fears of a new Afghan refugee crisis. President Ashraf Ghani met regional leaders in Uzbekistan on Thursday and Pakistan said it would host a conference of senior Afghan leaders in an effort to find solutions.
Diplomatic efforts have focused on pushing the rival Afghan sides to make progress towards a ceasefire.
Pakistan was for years accused of backing the Taliban with the aim of blocking the influence of its old rival India in Afghanistan. But Pakistan denied that and now says it wants to encourage negotiations to ensure a peaceful outcome.
Pakistani information minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Twitter that Pakistan was arranging more talks and that important leaders including former President Hamid Karzai, who remains an influential figure, had been invited.
Chaudhry said Taliban leaders would not be attending as Pakistan was holding separate talks with them.
Karzai and some top Afghan political leaders are expected to fly to Qatar this weekend for talks with members of the Taliban who have an office in the capital, Doha.
The Islamist militants ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until they were ousted in 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. They have fought since to expel foreign forces and topple the government in Kabul. (Reuters)
July
NZ PM Ardern discussed vaccines with U.S. President Biden ahead of APEC meet
Written by Nur Yasmin
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discussed efforts to ensure vaccine availability in New Zealand and the Pacific region in a call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday, the government said in a statement.
The call comes ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19 to be held on Friday.
“President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Ardern said in a statement released to the media.
“We also discussed the vaccine roll-out, both domestically and in the Pacific region and both our countries' efforts to ensure vaccine availability," she said. (Reuters)
July
S.Korean youth fight 'click war' in hunt for COVID-19 vaccines
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korean graduate student Kim Hyun-jin sits with her thumbs flailing away at the screen of her phone, hoping to land a click on an online map that will get her the leftover coronavirus vaccine that someone in her Seoul neighbourhood missed.
But after 10 days of "mad clicking," Kim, 32, has come away with nothing as vaccines are scarce amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases that started last week and is setting daily records.
"It's like war," Kim said, showing a map on her phone that shows no vaccines are available in southern Seoul. "It never comes up no matter how madly you click, and I'm angry and hopeless, wasting my time."
Kim is one of many young South Koreans who feel unfairly singled out by authorities as the main driver of its worst-ever COVID-19 outbreak because of their social activities, even as the government prioritises vaccine distribution to older, more vulnerable people.
"I wouldn't have been doing this if they had enough vaccines in the first place and the resurgence of infections wouldn't have happened," Kim said.
Multiple posts on Kopas, an online forum for Korea University students, accused the government of failing to secure more vaccines and scapegoating young people, garnering dozens of supportive comments.
Lee Ki-il, deputy minister of health care policy, said on Wednesday that vaccine shipments would pick up starting in August and that the government aimed to vaccinate all eligible people, including young people, by the end of September.
"It's upsetting and unfair that officials blamed us for spreading infections when there's no way we can get a vaccine," said Nam Yu-ra, who said she is in her late 20s and failed to reserve a leftover shot.
South Korea has largely successfully tackled the coronavirus, with a total of 175,046 cases and 2,051 deaths out of a population of 52 million, through a mass testing and tracing system and without resorting to severe lockdowns.
On paper, South Korea has bought sufficient doses to vaccinate its population twice over. But the campaign has slowed this week amid global supply shortages and shipment delays, with some 30,000 people getting a shot a day, down from more than 850,000 a day in early June, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data showed. read more
Just 31.1% of people have received at least one dose of vaccine as of Thursday, well below the 60% in other advanced nations such as Britain and Singapore.
For young people that have secured a vaccine, there is relief but also disappointment with the roll-out.
With a beaming smile, Kim Ha-ram, a 21-year-old college student, shows off the screen of her phone with her Facebook page with a tick indicating her vaccinated status.
She said she was lucky to win a leftover Pfizer dose just before the daily infections skyrocketed last week and triggered a rush for vaccines. But that was after a day-and-a-half of frantic clicking.
"We 20-30 somethings are indeed socially active and should be cautious about playing out and drinking," Kim said. "But ... we are also the biggest victims of Korea's unstable vaccine supply." (Reuters)
July
World leaders dial in as New Zealand hosts special APEC meeting on pandemic
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and other world leaders meet virtually on Friday for the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, seeking collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts.
New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it will chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. read more
The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19 which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed the importance of the 21-economy group working together to navigate a way out of the pandemic in a call with Biden ahead of the meeting. read more
But tensions among APEC members - mostly notably between the West and China over the origins of the coronavirus, trade, Xinjiang and South China Sea - could yet upend the agenda.
A senior Biden administration official said the president will use the forum to demonstrate his commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
"As one of the first opportunities he has to engage with many of these leaders, he will make clear that the U.S. has an enduring commitment to the region. He will put forward a vision for the region that is based on our values," said the official.
Biden will also discuss how the region can work together to fuel the global economic recovery.
The meeting will include an 'interactive' Q&A session where leaders can ask questions or make comments, a format that is unusual for APEC leaders, where events are usually scripted.
"We expect a dynamic and interactive discussion among leaders. That is the intention of such a meeting,” said a regional diplomat. "We hope through this leaders’ meeting there will be a more concrete programme for mitigating the pandemic."
The grouping includes the world's three largest economies and impoverished nations such as Papua New Guinea, as well as members at vastly different points in the COVID-19 cycle, providing further challenges for building consensus.
That consensus model of APEC has been tested in recent years, with the group unable to agree on a communique at their 2018 meeting in Papua New Guinea, driven by differences between the United States led by former President Donald Trump, and China.
The 2019 APEC meeting in Chile was cancelled due to protests while the one in Malaysia last year was side-tracked as officials hastily organised a virtual meeting as the pandemic locked down the world.
In June, APEC trade ministers agreed to review trade barriers and expedite the cross-border transit of COVID-19 vaccines and related goods, but stopped short of a broad commitment to remove tariffs which New Zealand was pushing for. read more
There have been over 50 million cases of COVID-19 within APEC's borders, with over one million deaths. APEC-wide GDP contracted by 1.9% in 2020. (Reuters)
July
Pakistan says traces of explosives detected in bus blast probe
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan said on Thursday traces of explosives had been detected during an initial investigation into a bus blast that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese workers, and said a terrorist attack could not be ruled out as the cause of the incident. (Reuters)