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Jumat, 31 Juli 2020

Fauci urges caution on China and Russia COVID-19 vaccines - CNA

WASHINGTON: Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease official, raised concerns on Friday (Jul 31) regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines under development by China and Russia.

Several Chinese companies are at the forefront of the global vaccine race, while Russia has said it hopes to be the first in the world to produce a vaccine for the public, with a target date of September.

But the medicines will likely face heightened scrutiny given that the regulatory systems in both countries are far more opaque than they are in the West.

Fauci, who was asked during a Congressional hearing whether the US could make use of Chinese or Russian vaccines if they arrived first, indicated that was unlikely.

"I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone," he said.

He added: "Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best.

"We are going very quickly. I do not believe that there will be vaccines, so far ahead of us, that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines."

READ: Fauci resists Republican effort to turn testimony against protesters

Last month, Chinese media announced a coronavirus vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics was being used to immunise the Chinese military - making it the first approved for people, albeit in a limited population.

Many scientists however raised ethical concerns because the vaccine has not yet begun its final stages of testing.

'SPUTNIK MOMENT'?

Two other Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm, have launched final phase three trials in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, respectively.

China, where the virus originated, has largely brought its outbreak under control and has therefore had to turn to other countries to test its vaccines.

The trials in Brazil and the UAE will be watched particularly closely, given China's history of vaccine and other health scandals.

In 2018, more than 200,000 children were administered a defective vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (DPT) that caused paralysis in a few cases.

Russia, which was once a global vaccine leader during Soviet times, aims to bring two to market by September and October, respectively.

The first is being developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya institute and the defence ministry, and the second by the Vektor state laboratory near the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.

Russia has released no scientific data proving the vaccines' safety or efficacy.

Nevertheless, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund which is financing the Gamaleya trials, told CNN: "It's a Sputnik moment."

Sputnik was the world's first satellite launched by Russia in 1957.

Three Western coronavirus vaccines are in final phase three trials.

One is produced by US biotech firm Moderna and the National Institutes for Health; one by the University of Oxford and Britain's AstraZeneca; and the last by Germany's BioNTech with US pharmaceutical Pfizer.

China and Russia both stand accused of attempting to steal Western coronavirus research - charges they deny.

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2020-07-31 21:39:40Z
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Hong Kong police order arrest of exiled activists: China state media - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police have ordered the arrest of six activists living in exile on suspicion of violating the national security law, Chinese state media reported late on Friday (Jul 31), but the city's force refused to comment.

The six included prominent young campaigner Nathan Law, 27, who recently relocated to Britain after fleeing Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong police officially ordered the arrests of six trouble-makers who have fled overseas," CCTV state television said.

A crackdown on Hong Kong's protest movement has increased apace in the month since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the restless city.

READ: Hong Kong's top public prosecutor quits, says he was cut out of new national security cases

The law targets subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces with up to life in prison, but critics said it was a legal weapon to silence dissidents and criminalise certain political views.

It would be the first time the city's police have used the extraterritorial power in the new law to go after activists who are not in the territory.

Besides Law, the other activists sought include former British consulate staffer Simon Cheng, pro-independence activists Ray Wong, Wayne Chan, Honcques Laus, and Samuel Chu, according to CCTV.

The report said the six were sought for "incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces".

However, in an email to AFP, the Hong Kong police said they "do not comment on media reports".

READ: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike

Beijing has said the law will restore stability after last year's huge and often violent protests.

But it has also hastened the unravelling of Hong Kong's political freedoms and autonomy, supposedly guaranteed for 50 years after the 1997 handover from Britain.

In just a month since the new security law came into effect, a dozen leading campaigners have been disqualified from running in legislative elections and four students have been arrested on suspicion of "inciting succession" with social media posts.

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2020-07-31 15:44:03Z
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Hong Kong to delay election of new parliament for a year as Covid-19 outbreak worsens - The Straits Times

HONG KONG - In a controversial move that was widely anticipated, the city’s Legislative Council (Legco) election due in September to form a new government will be postponed for a year due to the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose support levels have hit rock-bottom in the city, announced this on Friday (July 31), putting an end to days of speculation amid the disqualification of a dozen opposition candidates slated to run in the Legco election originally scheduled for Sept 6.

The new date for the election is Sept 5 next year.

The opposition camp had hoped to ride on the wave of the public’s resentment against the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing on June 30 to win big at the Legco election, much like the landslide victory in last November’s district council elections.

In a briefing on Friday evening, Mrs Lam said she would invoke the colonial-era emergency law, used to impose a face mask ban last year, to facilitate the move.

“In these seven months, I’ve had to make some hard choices. But this announcement is the hardest one yet,” she said.

For the 10th day in a row, Hong Kong added more than 100 new infections on Friday at 121, bringing the total confirmed tally to 3,272, including 27 deaths. Of the new cases, 118 were due to local spread and sources of many cases were unknown.

For over a month, local clusters have grown quickly and pressure is mounting on the city’s healthcare systems and Covid-19 testing facilities.

“At this point in time, there’s no way to effectively eradicate this altogether,” Mrs Lam said, adding that the move has the full backing of the central government.

The same day, China’s Foreign Ministry said Hong Kong’s elections are China’s internal affairs and due consideration would be given to the Covid-19 situation.

Earlier in the day, 22 pro-democracy lawmakers blasted the possibility of such a move as a power grab that would trigger a constitutional crisis.

They said in a statement that the postponement is a conspiracy by the government and its supporters, as the government may not do well at the polls.

On July 27, the government further tightened social distancing measures in an attempt to contain local transmissions, including limiting public gatherings to two people, making mask-wearing compulsory and limiting dining-in at eateries.

The election was to be the former British colony’s first democratic exercise since Beijing imposed the security law, which carries a punishment of life imprisonment, against secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Beijing and the Hong Kong government have reassured people that the law affects only an extremely small number of people and would not undermine Hong Kong’s freedoms guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” principle that has been in place since 1997.

They argued that the law is vital to restore order and prosperity after more than half a year of often-violent anti-government protests last year.

But the opposition camp and activists believe the law not only spells the end of the city’s high degree of autonomy but also paves the way for a crackdown on dissent.

And the clearest example, they say, is Thursday’s disqualification from the Lego election of 12 opposition candidates, including activist Joshua Wong and Civic Party’s Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka Ki and Alvin Yeung, many of whom oppose the security law.

Mr Wong on Friday called the reasons for his disqualification ridiculous and a “witch-hunt”, accusing election officials of twisting his views so that they can prosecute him under the security law.

He said Legco elections have never been free and fair since 2016, when officials barred his peers like Edward Leung, Nathan Law, and Agnes Chow from running.

Civic Party chair Alan Leong warned on Thursday that the party’s two remaining election hopefuls – Jeremy Tam and Gordon Lam – would likely be banned from the polls, as would any backup candidates.

When asked, Associate Professor Sing Ming of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said the disqualification of the pro-democracy candidates comes as the level of support for Beijing and the Hong Kong government is at “record low”, also mirrored in people’s trust towards the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Together with the widespread suspicion and disapproval of the national security law, it is quite natural to conclude that Beijing would like to use the disqualification to preclude the catastrophic result for the pro-Beijing camp,” Prof Sing said.

The scope of the disqualification has been wider than anticipated by many observers, he noted, adding that moderates have also been booted out.

In light of this, Prof Sing said it would be extremely controversial to postpone the election for that long as it would “create all kinds of legitimacy problems”.

But Mr Lau Siu Kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the Legco election “is no longer just Hong Kong’s internal affairs”, but also a national affair that involves national security and questions as to whether external forces have united with the opposition camp to seize power.

“So that prompts Beijing into doing something to prevent the hostile forces from taking over Legco and to make sure that the national security is safeguarded,” he said.

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2020-07-31 13:45:45Z
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China says UK has 'poisoned' Sino-British relationship over Hong Kong and Huawei - South China Morning Post

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China says UK has 'poisoned' Sino-British relationship over Hong Kong and Huawei South China Morning Post
Resilient Hong Kong Dollar Shrugs Off Death of Carry Trade Bloomberg
Hong Kong elections: opposition scrambles for support ahead of nominations deadline, a day after candidates barred from running Yahoo Singapore News
Joshua Wong sees dual purpose in allegations barring him from Hong Kong polls South China Morning Post
China's polarising new security law: Sunset for Hong Kong, or a return to stability? CNA
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2020-07-31 10:54:32Z
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday (Jul 31) that elections for the city legislature will be postponed from Sep 6 due to a spike in coronavirus cases, dealing a major blow to the city's pro-democracy opposition.

The new date has been set for Sep 5, 2021.

Lam said the decision was the hardest choice she had made in the last seven months, but said it was aimed at safeguarding people's health.

The decision is supported by the central government, she added.

Having scored an overwhelming win in lower-level district council elections last year, the opposition was banking on keeping up the momentum gathered since anti-government protests erupted a year ago.

READ: Prominent Hong Kong democracy activists barred from election

News of the postponement came as the nomination period for candidates seeking to run in the election closed.

The poll would have been the former British colony's first official vote since Beijing imposed a new security law in late June, which critics say aims to quash dissent in the city.

Supporters of the new security law say it will bring more stability after a year of often-violent anti-government and anti-China unrest, and that it plugs loopholes in national security left by the city's inability to fulfil a constitutional requirement to pass such laws on its own.

READ: COVID-19: Hong Kong backtracks on restaurant dining ban, to allow with restrictions

On Wednesday, Lam warned the city was on the brink of a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak, and urged people to stay indoors as much as possible as strict new measures to curb the disease's spread took effect.

The new regulations ban gatherings of more than two people, dining in restaurants and make the wearing of face masks mandatory in public places, including outdoors. These are the toughest measures introduced in the city since the outbreak.

The government has also tightened testing and quarantine arrangements for sea and air crew members.

Hong Kong has reported more than 3,000 coronavirus cases since January, far lower than in other major cities around the world.

But for the past 10 days running the number of new infections has been in the triple-digits.

At least 68 countries and territories have delayed national or regional polls due to coronavirus since February, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

At least 49 countries and territories have decided to hold national or subnational elections, it said.

READ: Hong Kong is on verge of COVID-19 outbreak that could collapse hospital system, says Carrie Lam

CANDIDATES BARRED FROM STANDING IN ELECTION

Since the imposition of the security law on Jun 30 to punish what China broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, the crackdown on opposition forces has intensified.

Twelve opposition candidates, including young activist Joshua Wong but also more moderate, old-guard voices, have been disqualified from contesting the election. More candidates are expected to be barred in coming days.

The reasons cited by the city government for their disqualification included what authorities perceive as subversive intentions, opposition to the new national security law, and a campaign to obtain a majority that can block legislation.

The government denies political censorship or suppression of the right to run for the legislature, where only half of the seats are directly elected, while the other half is stacked with pro-Beijing figures. Critics called the move a political purge.

Hong Kong police have also arrested four students aged 16 to 21 years old on suspicion of threatening national security by allegedly being involved in an online group that pledged to use every means to fight for Hong Kong independence.

Wong said on Friday the reasons for disqualifying him from running in elections for the legislature were "invalid and ridiculous".

He added in a statement that Hong Kong's new national security was a "legal weapon used against dissidents".

"Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle," he told reporters.

"Beyond any doubt (this) is the most scandalous election fraud era in Hong Kong history," he added.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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2020-07-31 10:30:00Z
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces delay to Sep 6 elections as COVID-19 cases spike - CNA

Lam said the decision was the hardest choice she had made in the last seven months, but said it was aimed at safeguarding people's health.

The decision is supported by the central government, she added.

READ: COVID-19: Hong Kong backtracks on restaurant dining ban, to allow with restrictions

The government has also tightened testing and quarantine arrangements for sea and air crew members.

READ: Hong Kong is on verge of COVID-19 outbreak that could collapse hospital system, says Carrie Lam

CANDIDATES BARRED FROM STANDING IN ELECTION

Wong said on Friday the reasons for disqualifying him from running in elections for the legislature were "invalid and ridiculous".

He added in a statement that Hong Kong's new national security was a "legal weapon used against dissidents".

"Our resistance will continue on and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle," he told reporters.

"Beyond any doubt (this) is the most scandalous election fraud era in Hong Kong history," he added.

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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'Unlikely' that New Zealand traveller en route to South Korea was infected with COVID-19 during transit in Singapore: MOH, CAAS - CNA

SINGAPORE: Initial investigations show that is “unlikely” that a traveller from New Zealand who had transited in Singapore en route to South Korea was infected with COVID-19 during his stopover, Singapore authorities said on Friday (Jul 31).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said: "Our initial investigations found that it is unlikely that the individual was infected during transit in Changi Airport as that would mean an incubation period of less than 24 hours.

"According to the World Health Organization, the average incubation period for COVID-19 infection is five to six days, with a maximum of up to 14 days."

On Monday, New Zealand said that they were informed by South Korean authorities that the traveller may have been infected while in transit in Singapore.

The person had left New Zealand on Jul 21 and arrived in South Korea the next day after transiting through Singapore. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was done about four hours after the individual’s arrival in South Korea, Singapore authorities said.

New Zealand's health ministry said on Tuesday the person spent 14 hours and 20 minutes in a transit lounge at Changi Airport, along with people who had travelled from other parts of the world.

Before departing from New Zealand, the individual was on a domestic flight from Auckland to Christchurch. Close contact tracing of passengers on the domestic flight has been completed, New Zealand's health ministry said on Thursday.

READ: South Korea suspects traveller who tested positive for COVID-19 was infected during transit in Singapore: New Zealand

"Singapore is in contact with the New Zealand and South Korea authorities for further information," MOH and CAAS said on Friday.

"The source of infection remains unknown and investigations by the various authorities are ongoing. As an added precaution, contact tracing in Singapore is also underway."

They outlined the "stringent measures" taken at Changi Airport to ensure that transiting passengers are segregated from other passengers "at all stages of their journey - both in flight, and at the airport".

“In addition, all passengers travelling through Changi Airport are required to wear masks at all times, while airport staff wear personal protective equipment when interacting with passengers," said the joint reply to CNA's queries.

Safe distancing and temperature taking for passengers and staff are also enforced.

"All transit passengers, including those who had arrived on the same flight as the individual, adhered to these precautionary measures," MOH and CAAS added.

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF INFECTION

On Friday, New Zealand's health ministry said that "there continues to be no evidence of transmission" in the country involving the traveller.

All domestic contacts of the case tested to date have returned negative results.

It earlier said it was considering four possibilities about the case: That it may have been a false positive result, that it may be an old infection which has returned a positive result, that it was a case recently acquired in transit or that it was a case recently acquired in New Zealand.

The possibility of a false positive was ruled out after New Zealand's health ministry received the result of a second positive PCR test from South Korean authorities.

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2020-07-31 07:03:16Z
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