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Jumat, 28 Mei 2021

COVID-19 sweeps through Thailand's overcrowded prisons - CNA

BANGKOK: A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand's prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom's overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin.

More than 22,000 people have tested positive inside jails, where inmates living cheek by jowl have been encouraged to keep wearing their masks even while they sleep.

Authorities have floated plans to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions and have announced funding for more testing and medical care in recent days.

READ: COVID-19 – Provisional release on the cards for some inmates in Thailand amid overcrowding

But those behind bars say they have been kept in the dark about the seriousness of the outbreak.

"Prisoners don't have the knowledge to protect themselves," said Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a high-profile activist facing charges under Thailand's harsh royal defamation law.

Somyot was bailed last month and told AFP that he had not been tested for COVID-19 once during his 10-week stint in custody.

He was not worried about contracting the disease while in jail because he had no idea about the level of risk.

"But after this I'm so scared (for everyone still inside) ... if you are inside the prison you are at risk, it's unavoidable," he said.

Thailand's prison outbreak has skyrocketed from just 10 publicly announced cases a month ago and sparked growing public concern after a handful of prominent activists contracted the illness.

Among them was student leader Panusaya "Rung" Sithijirawattanakul, who helped lead a series of rallies last year demanding political reforms in the kingdom, and who tested positive after she was released on bail.

Health workers vaccinate inmates at Minburi Remand Prison in Bangkok. More than 22,000 people have — Health workers vaccinate inmates against COVID-19 at Minburi Remand Prison in Bangkok. (Photo: AFP/Handout)

"LESS ROOM THAN A COFFIN"

The Thai prison population stood at around 311,000 earlier this year, the International Federation for Human Rights said - more than two-and-a-half times the system's official capacity.

Four inmates in every five are serving time for drug charges because of harsh anti-narcotics laws that can see offenders jailed for a decade for possessing just a few methamphetamine pills.

Many cells are so packed with bodies that some inmates only have half a metre of space.

"That is less room for a body than the inside of a coffin," Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin told local media in February.

READ: Thailand authorises Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, royal academy seeks 1 million doses

Officials have tested more than 36,000 inmates in recent weeks and begun delivering COVID-19 vaccines to inmates and prison staff.

Somsak said he was examining ways to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions, possibly through a royal pardon.

Even if the plan goes ahead, prisoners will still have to complete a quarantine before returning home.

"For us to bail anyone or do anything, it has to be done properly," Somsak told reporters on Monday. "We can't allow them to spread infections."

Rights groups say the plan should go further and urged authorities to also free non-violent offenders in order to reduce overcrowding.

"Authorities should reduce the detainee population... of those held on politically motivated charges or for minor offences," said Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-05-29 03:04:21Z
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COVID-19 storm engulfs Mount Everest - CNA

KATHMANDU: Mount Everest guide Buddhi Bahadur Lama has spent days isolated in a tent after testing positive for coronavirus, as an outbreak that climbers say is putting lives at risk sweeps base camp.

He is one of four in his expedition team thought to have contracted COVID-19 at the foot of the world's highest mountain, along with a growing number of others.

"This is not just our problem, it is happening in most of the teams at the base camp right now," the 35-year-old told AFP.

Dozens of suspected COVID-19 cases have been flown out of the area and at least two companies have cancelled expeditions after team members tested positive.

However, authorities in Nepal have yet to acknowledge a single case at the mountain, with the stakes high for the country's tourism industry after a coronavirus shutdown last year cost millions in lost revenue.

READ: Nepal says Everest climbing continues despite reports of COVID-19

Lama's symptoms are mild but he said some climbers were suffering more severely.

The warmer weather that ushers in safer conditions for scaling Everest and other Himalayan peaks has coincided with a new wave of COVID-19 infections in Nepal.

The country is reporting an average of 8,000 cases a day and the health system has been overwhelmed.

More than 350 people have summited Everest so far this spring — More than 350 people have summited Mount Everest so far this spring. (Photo: AFP/PRAKASH MATHEMA)

Over the last two months since the climbing season began, more than 1,000 mountaineers and their mainly Nepali guides have been camped in the tent city.

More than 350 have reached the summit so far this season, but some are still at base camp waiting for the next weather window.

Breathing is already difficult at high altitudes so the coronavirus becomes a major threat if symptoms appear during a climb.

Officials at a camp clinic say more than 30 people have been flown out for health issues in recent weeks. Some have posted their COVID-19 diagnosis on social media.

READ: At least 100 COVID-19 cases on Mount Everest, says climbing guide

But the government says it is unaware of any cases.

"We have asked companies and officials to report to us if they have any COVID cases but none has submitted anything yet. We need an official report," said Nepal's tourism department chief Rudra Singh Tamang.

"If people have tested positive in Kathmandu, it is hard to say where they got infected."

There is also a lack of transparency among some expedition organisers about positive cases.

Over the last two months since the climbing season began, more than 1,000 mountaineers and their mainly Nepali guides have been camped in the tent city at base camp. (Photo: AFP/Prakash MATHEMA)

"LIVES AT RISK"

Austrian expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach, who was the first to cancel an expedition, said he had submitted a report to the government.

"There is an outbreak and there is evidence for that. But the government is denying this outbreak and putting our lives and the lives of their own people, the Sherpas, at risk," he said.

READ: Everest hopefuls 'camp' at home to avoid COVID-19 in Nepal

Last week Furtenbach was waiting to begin his ascent and his team of 19 climbers had already started acclimatisation treks when the virus struck.

One person in the group tested positive with a rapid test kit and the next day three Sherpas also returned positive results.

Eventually, eight in the expedition were found to have COVID-19, with seven confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction test in Kathmandu.

Furtenbach believes they were infected on the mountain - the only time his expedition was in close contact with other teams.

The company has also helped other climbing teams test for the virus and two people have shown positive results.

"If someone dies up there with COVID the families would sue us - when we knew about the outbreak and were still sending people up. This is a liability," he said.

Nepal suffered a devastating blow to its tourism industry last year when the pandemic forced a complete shutdown of its mountaineering sector.

Without foreign climbers, the Sherpas and other guides - who are often the sole breadwinners for their families - lost their main source of income.

Kunga Sherpa was evacuated from base camp after he tested positive and is now recovering in Kathmandu.

"If we think financially, many need this year's earnings, but lives are important and perhaps, in a way, it would have been good to not climb this season," he said.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2021-05-29 02:22:02Z
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Southeast Asian states want to drop proposed UN call for Myanmar arms embargo - CNA

NEW YORK: Nine Southeast Asian nations have proposed watering down a United Nations General Assembly draft resolution on Myanmar, including removing a call for an arms embargo on the country, in a bid to win the unanimous support of the 193-member body.

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam wrote to Liechtenstein, which drafted the resolution, after a planned vote last week was postponed at the last minute.

In the letter dated May 19 and seen by Reuters on Friday (May 28), the Southeast Asian countries said the draft "cannot command the widest possible support in its current form, especially from all countries directly affected in the region" and that further negotiations are needed "to make the text acceptable, especially to the countries most directly affected and who are now engaged in efforts to resolve the situation".

"It is also our firm conviction that if a General Assembly resolution on the situation in Myanmar is to be helpful to countries in ASEAN, then it needs to be adopted by consensus," the countries wrote, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

READ: Millions in Myanmar struggle to buy food as coup price hike bites

The letter was from all of the ASEAN nations except Myanmar.

The draft resolution calls for "an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions" to Myanmar. The Southeast Asian countries want that language removed.

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but carry political weight. Unlike the 15-member Security Council, no country has veto power in the General Assembly.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the army ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government on Feb 1 and detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party.

While the Southeast Asian countries want the draft UN resolution to express deep concern about their detention, instead of condemning it the text would call for their immediate and unconditional release.

READ: ASEAN leaders reach consensus on 'immediate cessation' of violence in Myanmar

A spokesman for ASEAN did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

ASEAN is leading the diplomatic effort to end bloodshed in Myanmar and promote dialogue between the junta and its opponents.

Earlier this month, more than 200 civil society groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, urged the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar.

Only the UN Security Council can impose legally binding sanctions or an arms embargo, but diplomats have said Russia and China could likely use their veto to prevent such action on Myanmar.

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2021-05-29 01:24:23Z
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Climate Change - CNA

BANGKOK: When Dr Deo Florence Onda found himself more than 10,000m below the surface, in the third deepest trench on the planet, he was on the lookout for mysteries hidden in the darkness.

The Emden Deep, part of the Philippine Trench, is one of Earth’s final frontiers, an unexplored section of one of the oldest seabeds in the world. Until just a couple of months ago, no human had ever been there.

The 33-year-old microbial oceanologist from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute considers himself “very adventurous” - despite being from the tropics, he completed his doctoral studies on the North Pole. But this was something entirely different.

Emden Deep journey DSV Limiting — The deep-sea submersible DSV Limiting Factor begins its descent towards the Emden Deep. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

Deep-sea adventures are rare and complex, making them akin to venturing into outer space.

“The feeling itself, no one can prepare for it. You don’t know what to expect. It was really the mental preparation, being in a small submersible without freaking out while you’re diving and saying goodbye to the world,” he recounted.

Over a 12-hour period in March, Onda and American explorer Victor Vescovo from Caladan Oceanic, a private organisation dedicated to advancing undersea technology, descended and explored the trench, hoping for just a glimpse of life below.

“If you look at the Philippine Trench, the first description was in the 1950s and then the more detailed one was in the 1970s. The technology then was not that good yet, or accurate. It was an opportunity for us to see what’s happening down there, which has never been seen before,” Onda said.

READ: Plastic found in deepest ocean animals

Darkness at Philippine trench — The pair initially thought they had spotted a jellyfish, which was in fact a floating plastic bag. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

“When we were about to reach the bottom I was expecting to see scary, crawling things sneaking in or peeking into the windows.”

Instead, what greeted them in the depths was something far more familiar - something that had also travelled from above the surface.

“There was one funny scene when we were exploring the area. There was one white material floating around. I was saying ‘Victor, that’s a jellyfish’. We went there and approached and it was just plastic.

“The only unusual thing there was the garbage. There was a lot of garbage in the trench. There were a lot of plastics, a pair of pants, a shirt, a teddy bear, packaging and a lot of plastic bags. Even me, I did not expect that, and I do research on plastics,” he said.

Plastic found at Emden Deep — The trench was lined with plastic waste and other trash. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

“Seeing it for the first time was a privilege as a human being, representing 106 million Filipinos and billions of people of the world. But being a witness to the extent of pollution, and being a witness to the gravity of the plastics problem from the surface to the bottom of the ocean, is another thing.

“It becomes my responsibility to tell people that their garbage doesn't stay where they put it. It goes somewhere else and it will sink.”

What was originally planned to be a scientific research mission had to be changed to a purely record-setting trip, due to the COVID pandemic and bureaucratic difficulties in securing permission for further deepwater study.

Still, he said this endeavour gave him fascinating insights and a platform to detail the issues facing the deep-sea environment, an area that is difficult to research in the Philippines due to logistics and costs.

Philippines flag Emden Deep — Dr Onda and Victor Vescovo celebrate reaching the third deepest point on Earth. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

READ: Plastic wasteland - Asia's ocean pollution crisis

Onda’s main research focus is on the life cycle and role of microorganisms, such as phytoplankton, which help produce oxygen and are among the main drivers of energy and biomass build-up in the marine ecosystem.

The discovery of plastic in the trench was shocking for Onda, who is concerned that the transboundary nature of plastic spread in the oceans is having unknown but profound consequences on marine ecosystems, and in effect, on the very foundations of life on the planet.

“Microorganisms are the main drivers of carbon storage, which then drives climate change. When phytoplankton consume carbon, taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they convert it into particulate organic matter that sinks to the bottom of the ocean and gets stored for millions of years,” he said.

Philippine Trench — Dr Onda described tracks on the seafloor, which he believed belonged to living organisms. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

“We actually do not know the extent of biodiversity in these deep-sea environments. We do not know yet the full extent of their roles in terms of biogeochemical processes, how they regulate the weather and the climate. But we are already changing it. I don’t see it stopping soon.”

Studies show that the deeper layers of the ocean are warming at a slower pace than the surface. Yet for wildlife and organisms in these environments, exposure to climate warming may be more severe and pose greater risks.

Meantime, how trash reaches the most remote depths, through various different water densities and great distances, still requires more research. But it is proof that the ocean is a continuum where impacts know no boundaries.

Dr Deo Florence Onda — Dr Onda wants his mission to inspire more Filipinos to care about science and the conservation of marine environments. (Image: Verola Media/Caladan Oceanic)

While Onda wishes he could have learnt more from his journey, he admits it was still an unparalleled chance to promote Philippine science and deepen his own understanding of the region.

“As an oceanographer and professor myself, most of the things I teach in the books were made by western scholars. But seeing it myself was like a fairytale ... each and every page of my oceanography book coming into reality,” he said.

“I was seeing how light dissipates with depth. I was seeing how pressure increases which then decreases temperatures and all of these physics and chemistry and biology of oceanography coming into reality. It was a fantasy for me.”

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2021-05-28 22:04:53Z
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Malaysia to enter 'total lockdown' from Jun 1 to Jun 14 as number of COVID-19 cases hits new record - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will close all economic and social sectors by implementing a "total lockdown” throughout the country.

The first phase of the lockdown will last from Jun 1 to Jun 14. This move was announced in a media statement posted on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Facebook page on Friday (May 28) night.

Only essential economic and service sectors listed by the National Security Council will be allowed to operate during Phase 1 of the lockdown, said the statement issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

“This decision was made after taking into account the current situation of COVID-19 transmission in Malaysia with daily case numbers exceeding 8,000 and active cases exceeding 70,000,” the statement read.

More than 2,550 people in Malaysia have died from the disease.

READ: Malaysia sets COVID-19 case record for 4th straight day with 8,290 new infections

The emergence of more virulent COVID-19 variants also influenced the National Security Council's decision to implement the lockdown.

With the sharp rise in the daily number of COVID-19 cases, hospitals' capacity to treat patients throughout the country are "becoming more limited", the statement added.

If the phase 1 total lockdown is successful in reducing daily COVID-19 cases, the government will implement a four-week phase 2 lockdown by allowing the reopening of a few economic sectors that do not involve large gatherings.

Phase 2 lockdown will last four weeks.

“Once the phase 2 lockdown ends, the next step is phase 3, which is implementing a movement control order (MCO) similar to the current one in effect, where social activities are not allowed and nearly all economic sectors are allowed to operate subject to strict standard operating procedures and limited physical presence at workplaces,” the PMO said.

READ: Malaysian volunteer undertakers struggle to cope as COVID-19 cases surge

However, the decision to move from one phase to the next will be subject to the health ministry’s risk assessment, and will be based on the daily caseloads and the hospitals' capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.

The government will ensure the Malaysian public health system will not crumble and that support and assistance will be given to the health ministry to increase hospital capacity, said the PMO.

“The government will also increase the number of vaccine deliveries in the space of the next few weeks in the effort to develop herd immunity in the country.

“As a result of the government’s decision to execute full economic and social shutdown, the finance ministry will detail assistance packages for the people and affected economic sectors,” PMO stated, adding these would be announced in the very near future.

READ: More people in Malaysia to work from home, shorter business hours among new COVID-19 curbs during MCO 3.0

PMO's announcement came as Malaysia set a COVID-19 case record for the fourth straight day with 8,290 new infections, bringing the national total past 549,000.

Sixty-one more COVID-19 fatalities, aged between 27 and 92 were reported, pushing Malaysia's death toll to 2,552.

A nationwide MCO dubbed MCO 3.0 was reimposed in May, when all economic sectors were allowed to operate but people were encouraged to practise "self-lockdown".

Amid calls for the government to impose a full lockdown as cases remained high, the government had announced tightened curbs that mandated more employees to work from home and business operating hours to be shortened.

Mr Muhyiddin, in a May 23 interview, said that while a full lockdown would guarantee people’s safety, there is a risk that the economy could collapse.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2021-05-28 13:41:15Z
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Malaysia to impose total nationwide lockdown from June 1-14 amid record number of Covid-19 cases - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will go into a total nationwide lockdown for all social and economic sectors from next Tuesday (June 1) to June 14.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement on Friday (May 28) comes as the country reported 8,290 new coronavirus cases that day, its fourth straight day of record infections. This brings the total cumulative cases since the start of the pandemic to 549,514.

Only essential economic sectors and services will be allowed to operate, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said.

“This decision was made after taking into account the current situation of the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia with daily cases surpassing 8,000 and over 70,000 active cases,” he said in a statement.

“As of today, 2,552 have passed away from this pandemic, and the number of deaths is increasing. The presence of more aggressive variants with higher infectivity also influenced today’s decision.”

The Premier, who on Sunday insisted a total lockdown would cause more damage by ruining an already ailing economy, added that “hospital capacity nationwide to treat Covid-19 patients is also becoming increasingly limited”.

Malaysia reported 61 deaths from the virus on Friday, matching a previous peak recorded on Monday. This is the first month since the pandemic began last year that more than 1,000 lives have been lost.

The Premier on Friday also outlined an exit strategy from the total shutdown, should it succeed in reducing the number of new Covid-19 cases.

A second phase lasting four weeks will follow, which will allow more sectors to reopen, provided these activities do not involve large gatherings.

Should the situation improve further, restrictions will be further eased under a third phase. This will be similar to current movement control rules, where most economic activities - subject to standard operating procedures (SOP)and health protocols - will resume, while social activities will still be barred.

“The decision to shift from one phase to the next will be subject to a risk assessment by the Health Ministry. This will be based on the development of daily cases and hospital capacity nationwide,” Mr Muhyiddin said.

Friday's announcement did not outline specific regulations. It is expected that the National Security Council will decide on these over the weekend and issue new SOPs ahead of their implementation on Tuesday.

Given the impact of the lockdown, the Prime Minister said that the Finance Ministry will develop an aid package for the public and affected economic sectors.

Malaysia had hoped its economy would recover to pre-coronavirus levels with up to 7.5 per cent growth this year, having experienced a 5.6 decline last year, the worst since the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis.

Taiwan relaxes rules for coronavirus vaccine imports as deaths mount - South China Morning Post

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Taiwan relaxes rules for coronavirus vaccine imports as deaths mount South China Morning Post
Request to drop word 'country' preceded BioNTech vaccine deal collapse, says Taiwan CNA
Taiwan targets Covid-19 vaccination for 60% of population by October The Straits Times
China accuses Australia of ‘exaggerating threat of war’ over Taiwan South China Morning Post
Taiwan sees 'political warfare' in dispute with China over vaccines Yahoo Singapore News
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2021-05-28 12:04:56Z
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Jumat, 28 Mei 2021

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