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Minggu, 07 Juni 2020

Rare sighting of large colony of flying foxes in Singapore on World Environment Day - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year, and Singapore marked the occasion last Friday (June 5) with a rare sighting: a colony of large flying foxes soaring over the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The last time these bats were seen in Singapore was more than four years ago, with six sighted in the MacRitchie area in May 2016.

Dr Benjamin Lee, director of wildlife management research at the National Parks Board (NParks), said: "This sighting of more than 100 individuals is unprecedented in Singapore in recent times."

Primate researcher Sabrina Jabbar came across the sight while exercising in the nature reserve at about 7.30am last Friday, and captured the encounter in photographs and videos.

Ms Jabbar said the sighting on World Environment Day was a great surprise. She added: "It was such a magnificent sight against the backdrop of the cloudy sky."

Dr Lee said the large flying fox is native to Singapore.

They are migratory animals, which means they have a large home range and move frequently across international borders.

They have been known to travel several hundreds of kilometres between roosting sites, and their home range includes southern Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia, said Dr Lee.

He added: "It is not unusual for flying foxes to travel in large groups when they are in search of food or due to disturbances to their camps such as habitat destruction or sustained hunting."

The large flying fox is one of 28 species of bats in Singapore. PHOTO: SABRINA JABBAR

Ms Jabbar said that while it was nice to see the flying fox in such large numbers, the animals may have been forced to move due to threats faced elsewhere, such as habitat loss.

"I hope they have found a safe place to settle," she said.

The large flying fox is one of 28 species of bats in Singapore.

These creatures of the night have been linked to the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19, but their bad reputation is often unwarranted.

Indeed, fruit and insectivorous bats play important ecological roles in the natural environment.

Fruit bats are pollinators and seed dispersers, and play an important role in regenerating forests and ensuring their survival.

The agricultural trade is also supported by bats that aid in the pollination of plants such as durian and petai, said NParks' Dr Lee.

Insectivorous bats, on the other hand, are the pest controllers of the natural world.

Dr Lee said: "They feed on mosquitoes, beetles and crickets, helping to keep the insect population in check.

"By feeding on insects, they also help to support agriculture, as they reduce the damage the insects cause to crops, as well as decrease the need for pesticides."

Bats are generally shy and do not attack or show aggression unless a person attempts to handle them, he said.

People should not attempt to feed or get close to them.

Dr Lee said NParks has been studying Singapore's bat populations since 2011 and that the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 in humans has not been detected in bats and other animals in Singapore.

He added: "NParks will continue to closely monitor the local wildlife populations."

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2020-06-07 10:48:15Z
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China to strengthen global cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine trials - CNA

BEIJING: China will strengthen international cooperation in future COVID-19 clinical vaccine trials, building on earlier collaboration in vaccine development, the science and technology minister said on Sunday (Jun 7).

China is expending great efforts in the global scramble to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus epidemic that began in its central city of Wuhan, with Chinese researchers conducting five separate clinical trials on humans, or half of all such trials globally, according to the data compiled by the World Health Organization.

President Xi Jinping vowed last month at the World Heath Assembly, the WHO's governing body, that vaccines China's develops will become a "global public good" once they are ready for use, and it will be China's contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.

READ: Australia to pledge US$207m for Indo-Pacific vaccine program

READ: UN chief backs global access to 'people's vaccine' for COVID-19

Developing "a vaccine is still the fundamental strategy in our effort to overcome the new coronavirus," Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang told a news conference in Beijing.

But vaccine development is very difficult and takes time, he said, when asked how China would initially prioritise shots by country when a vaccine is found.

"The rigour of vaccine development has been compared by some scientists to a dance involving precise steps and rehearsals," Wang said.

In a white paper unveiled by the State Council Information Office at the news conference, the government urges global cooperation, saying the international community should resist finger-pointing and politicising the virus. It did not name any country.

READ: Japan aims to have COVID-19 vaccines in use by June 2021

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has accused China of cover-ups and lack of transparency regarding the pandemic. Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying it has been keeping the world informed from the start.

The head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention briefed his U.S. counterpart by phone on the then-unknown virus as early as Jan. 4, according to the white paper.

In the white paper, the Chinese government said the medical cost of all the coronavirus patients in China totalled 1.35 billion yuan (US$191 million) as of the end of May.

President Xi last month pledged US$2 billion in financial support over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak 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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2020-06-07 08:08:17Z
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Coronavirus: Malaysia to ease curbs from June 10 to allow domestic travel, social activities - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will further ease its coronavirus restrictions from Wednesday (June 10), with nearly all social, economic and religious activities set to restart while adhering to strict social distancing protocols and safety measures.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Sunday that the government would allow domestic travel and small-scale social activities, and reopen schools in stages under the "recovery movement control order" (RMCO) phase, which runs from Wednesday until Aug 31.

"Health Ministry statistics show that the rate of infection has been dropping and is under control," he said in an address broadcast nationally across social media and television channels.

The movement control order (MCO) was first relaxed on May 4, six weeks after strict restrictions that closed most of the economy and the country's borders were first imposed.

The government has sought to restart commercial activity in stages, amid rising unemployment that has reached its highest in a decade.

Most businesses were allowed to reopen in May, with strict social distancing protocols in place. However, schools remain shut, while large social gatherings and inter-state travel are banned.

But beginning June 10, inter-state travel will be allowed except for areas under full lockdown - also known as enhanced MCO - Tan Sri Muhyiddin said. Schools will also be reopened in stages but international borders will remain shut.

Non-contact sports aside from water sports will also be allowed, but entertainment outlets will remain shut. Large gatherings are still prohibited.

This follows the government's announcement on Saturday that hair salons and beauty parlours would be allowed to open from Wednesday, while open-air markets and bazaars can resume operations from June 15.

Many Malaysians had already begun booking appointments at salons, and are now making plans to return to badminton courts, bowling alleys and hotels across the country.

“I was considering a staycation in the Klang Valley for my birthday next week, but now I am going to scour for promotions in the east coast, or even Sabah,” said Kuala Lumpur-based banker Sharon Lee, 40.

The number of new coronavirus cases have largely been in the double digits across the past eight weeks, with spikes mostly due to clusters among undocumented migrants held in detention centres.

Sunday saw 19 new coronavirus cases, taking the cumulative total to 8,322, with more than 80 per cent of patients discharged. The death toll remained at 117.

Mr Muhyiddin said that the RMCO would require the public to take up the responsibilities of the “new normal” with regards to hygiene and social distancing.

He added that if the recovery phase is successful, it would be replaced with a normalisation period after Aug 31 until a vaccine is found.

“But I want to remind everyone that if there is a surge in positive Covid-19 cases during this period, the government will not hesitate to impose the enhanced MCO in affected areas,” he warned.

Kuala Lumpur had, as at April, rolled out RM260 billion (S$85 billion) in stimulus packages to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic.

The government says these plans - which have cost the Treasury RM35 billion in direct fiscal injections - have saved 2.4 million jobs, ensured cash flow to 11 million people and propped up over 300,000 companies.

On Friday, it announced an additional stimulus package - the "national economic recovery plan" - worth RM35 billion that will cost public coffers another RM10 billion.

Malaysia expects the economy to go into recession this year, with unemployment set to reach as high as 5.5 per cent out of the 16 million-strong labour force.