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2020-12-18 13:39:23Z
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Jumat, 18 Desember 2020
China prepares for mass COVID-19 vaccination programme ahead of Chinese New Year - CNA
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2020-12-18 13:39:23Z
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Thailand reports local COVID-19 infections as measures to restart tourism begin - CNA
BANGKOK: Thailand has four new local coronavirus infections, health officials said on Friday (Dec 18), just as the country has started reopening for tourists after months of keeping the virus at bay.
A 67-year-old woman who sells shrimp in the Samut Sakhon province was confirmed to have the infection, senior health official Sopon Iamsirithaworn told a news conference, adding that three of her family members later also tested positive.
She did not have a history of travelling outside the country, the official said, adding they were waiting for the results of the tests of 165 other people who had been in close contact with the woman.
"We are collecting information to find the origins of this infection," said Disease Control Department director-general, Opas Karnkawinpong at the same news conference.
READ: Thailand to see more visitors, 'signal' for reopening: Tourism chief
Local cases have been in the single-digits in recent months, with most of them found in people observing quarantine after having been in close contact with an infected person. Most of Thailand's recent cases have been imported.
Thailand has managed to keeping infections relatively low, reporting a total of 4,297 cases and 60 COVID-19 deaths, but the success has come at a cost to its tourism-dependent economy.
The new infections come as authorities on Thursday began easing travel restrictions to allow foreign tourists to return to the country in a bid to revive its battered tourism industry.
Thailand eased restrictions for citizens from more than 50 countries, but visitors will need to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival and will need a certificate to show they were free of COVID-19 72 hours before travel.
Last month, authorities tested over 300 people after Thai nationals entered the country illegally from Myanmar, but most new infections were found in quarantine.
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2020-12-18 09:32:06Z
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'Life is short': Wuhan's COVID-19 survivors share lessons one year on - CNA
WUHAN, China: In late 2019, Wuhan businesswoman Duan Ling and her surgeon husband Fang Yushun began to hear snippets in hospital chat groups about a disease emerging in the city's respiratory wards.
Duan didn't pay much attention at first.
Fang had that year returned from a stint studying in the United States, and the pair, both 36-years-old, were planning a family, starting a costly round of fertility treatments.
"But as more and more news came, we began to realise this was something different from previous infectious diseases," said Duan.
In just over a month, Fang would become one of the first people in the world to contract what came to be known as COVID-19, which has since infected over 74 million worldwide and killed more than 1.5 million.
During the early days of the outbreak, the city's hospitals were crushed with patients, testing was scarce, and many doctors worked unprotected.
READ: China to start opening COVID-19 vaccination programme to general public
"At that time, there were a lot of undiagnosed patients appearing already in Wuhan. That's why we still don't know how he got infected," said Duan.
Fang probably caught the disease in the hospital where he works, but the couple also lived within walking distance of Wuhan's Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where several initial cases were linked, which led to the discovery of the disease.
On the day his case was confirmed, Feb 3, just over 420 people had died of COVID-19 and Wuhan had begun announcing several thousand new cases a day.
Wuhan was also two weeks into what became a gruelling 76-day lockdown that cut the city off from the rest of China.
"I finally felt that the numbers are not just some cold facts, because among those 2,388 people, one of them is the protector of my small family," said Duan.
READ: A year on, markets bustling in China's Wuhan where COVID-19 emerged
SURVIVORS
Fang was lucky. While 3,869 people would eventually die of coronavirus in Wuhan, he suffered only a moderate case and still had to go to work even after he began showing symptoms, Duan remembers.
Duan also believes it is possible she caught the virus, as she showed some symptoms around the same time, but testing in Wuhan was scarce in the first months of 2020, and limited to some frontline workers and severely ill patients.
When Fang entered hospital, he had a high fever, his resting heart rate was over 100 beats per minute, and his chest X-rays resembled ground glass. Duan characterised the time as surreal.
"When I was alone, I would watch the video of him playing guitar in the dormitory during his study abroad" in 2019, she said, choking up when she recounts the difficult two months they spent apart during his illness and recovery.
"But this epidemic had never let me cry once, and I always believed that we would get through this," she said.
Video snippets shared by the couple show a masked Fang moving slowly around his ward in blue and white pyjamas.
While Fang was one of the first confirmed patients in the world, his status as a COVID-19 survivor now puts him in a club of over 70 million people worldwide, many of whom continue to face complex health issues.
Some nine out of ten COVID-19 survivors experience lasting side effects, and the longer term impacts of the illness are not known.
Duan says relatives and friends are still frightened Fang's disease could reactivate.
"They might also raise this concern when we go to the party with them, so we won't go. So there will still be some uncomfortable things in my heart."
READ: China welcomes WHO-led trip to investigate COVID-19, WHO official says
READ: 'We are not afraid': Wuhan residents say they hope WHO team finds COVID-19 origins
RETURN TO NORMAL
Today, Wuhan has largely returned to normal. The city hasn't reported a new COVID-19 case since May. Its streets, bars, wet markets and restaurants are crowded.
But for some families less fortunate than Fang and Duan, memories of the traumatic early days are still hard to forget.
"There is nothing left to say for me," said one Wuhan woman surnamed Chen, who caught the disease along with her mother, father and sister in January. Her father died in early February.
"Even though Wuhan has returned to normal, you can't turn off the news ... you can't escape these memories when the whole world is experiencing it," said Chen, who declined to use her full name because she was warned against sharing her story by local police early in the pandemic.
For Duan and Fang, they are focused on the future.
The pair are moving into a new apartment, which was offered at a 15 per cent discount to frontline medical workers by a local property developer.
Surrounded by unopened cardboard boxes, they discuss plans to restart fertility treatments.
"Life is actually quite short, and life is also a process with many surprises," said Duan. "Every day of peace and quiet is actually quite precious. So, we will cherish our time together more in the future."
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2020-12-18 07:26:52Z
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Kamis, 17 Desember 2020
Tokyo raises COVID-19 alert to highest level as medical crunch looms - CNA
TOKYO: The Japanese capital Tokyo, faced with acute strains on its medical system from the COVID-19 pandemic, raised its alert level to the highest of four stages on Thursday (Dec 17) as the number of new cases spiked to a record daily high of 822.
A health official said it had become difficult to balance the care of COVID-19 patients with regular ones as hospital beds filled up, and a "red" alert for medical preparedness had been assigned for the first time.
"We fear a serious dysfunction of the medical system in two weeks, on Dec 31, if the number of new daily infections keeps growing at the current pace," Masataka Inokuchi, vice chair of the Tokyo Medical Association, told a news conference attended by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.
"Medical service providers have exhausted all spare resources. Reducing the number of (COVID-19) patients will be the only way to go."
The metropolitan government in the city of 14 million people said the number of new coronavirus cases hit 822 on Thursday, surpassing the previous record of 678 reached a day earlier.
Tokyo issued a special COVID-19 alert for the year-end and new year periods to raise public awareness, Koike said.
"We need to turn this holiday season into a special period to stop the spread of the infections."
The Tokyo government has asked medical institutions in the capital to raise the number of hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients to 4,000 from the current 3,000, she said.
READ: Japan review of Avigan says efficacy for COVID-19 treatment inconclusive: Report
READ: Japan PM Suga under fire for year-end dinners as coronavirus cases mount
A month ago, Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert for new infections - a separate category - to the highest level. It had kept its alert for medical preparedness at the second-highest level at the time, indicating a need to boost hospital capacity, but a notch below critical conditions.
Japan has reported an overall total of 190,935 infections and 2,791 deaths from the respiratory disease since the outbreak began early this year, according to public broadcaster NHK.
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2020-12-17 13:40:56Z
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French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19 - CNA
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidency said on Thursday (Dec 17), although it was not clear at this stage where he had contracted the virus.
"The president tested positive for COVID-19 today (Thursday)," it said in a statement, adding he had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms".
Macron will now, in accordance with national regulations, "self isolate for seven days", it said, adding that he will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely.
A spokeswoman said that all his trips had been cancelled, including an upcoming visit to Lebanon on Dec 22.
They added he was trying to assess where he could have contracted the virus.
Macron was at a European Council heads of state meeting on Dec 10 to Dec 11.
READ: France may start COVID-19 vaccinations in last week of December: PM
His schedule over the last week has also included a private dinner with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during which Macron awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.
The French president also had lunch this week with European leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the Spanish and Portuguese prime ministers.
He was seen shaking hands with OECD chief Angel Gurria.
Prime Minister Jean Castex will also self isolate after coming into contact with Macron over the last few days, said Gerard Larcher, head of the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will also quarantine until Dec 24, his office said in a statement. The two leaders had met on Monday in Paris.
Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa, too, will self-isolate after meeting Macron, his office said in a statement. He has cancelled official trips to Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea Bissau scheduled between Dec 18 and 20, though "he will keep all executive activities and work schedule, which will be carried out remotely", the statement said.
Michel, the president of the European Council, decided to self-isolate as a precaution.
Von der Leyen said she "has no plan on self-isolating", however, according to a European Commission spokesman. The Commission head's meeting with Macron did not constitute a close contact that required self-isolation by the standards of French authorities, the spokesman added.
The French president is one of several heads of state and government around the world who have contracted COVID-19, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump.
Johnson sent his best wishes to Macron on Thursday after the French president tested positive for COVID-19.
"Sorry to hear my friend Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for coronavirus. We are all wishing you a speedy recovery," Johnson wrote on Twitter. He also posted the same message in French.
France earlier this week eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high.
READ: France's new COVID-19 cases up, hospitalisations resume downward trend
There is still a nationwide overnight curfew from 8pm to halt the spread of the virus while restaurants and cafes as well as theatres and cinemas remain closed.
More than 59,300 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.
The recording of more than 17,000 new cases on Wednesday alone has also generated concern as people shop and travel more intensely ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Like other EU states, France is pinning its hopes on a vaccine to quell the virus and Castex said Wednesday the country will receive around 1.16 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by year-end.
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2020-12-17 12:11:15Z
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French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19 - CNA
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidency said on Thursday (Dec 17), although it was not clear at this stage where he had contracted the virus.
"The president tested positive for COVID-19 today (Thursday)," it said in a statement, adding he had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms".
Macron will now, in accordance with national regulations, "self isolate for seven days", it said, adding that he will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely.
A spokeswoman said that all his trips had been cancelled, including an upcoming visit to Lebanon on Dec 22.
They added he was trying to assess where he could have contracted the virus.
Macron was at a European Council heads of state meeting on Dec 10 to Dec 11.
READ: France may start COVID-19 vaccinations in last week of December: PM
His schedule over the last week has also included a private dinner with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during which Macron awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.
The French president also had lunch this week with European leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the Spanish and Portuguese prime ministers.
He was seen shaking hands with OECD chief Angel Gurria.
Prime Minister Jean Castex will also self isolate after coming into contact with Macron over the last few days, said Gerard Larcher, head of the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will also quarantine until Dec 24, his office said in a statement. The two leaders had met on Monday in Paris.
The French president is one of several heads of state and government around the world who have contracted COVID-19, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump.
Johnson sent his best wishes to Macron on Thursday after the French president tested positive for COVID-19.
"Sorry to hear my friend Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for coronavirus. We are all wishing you a speedy recovery," Johnson wrote on Twitter. He also posted the same message in French.
France earlier this week eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high.
READ: France's new COVID-19 cases up, hospitalisations resume downward trend
There is still a nationwide overnight curfew from 8pm to halt the spread of the virus while restaurants and cafes as well as theatres and cinemas remain closed.
More than 59,300 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.
The recording of more than 17,000 new cases on Wednesday alone has also generated concern as people shop and travel more intensely ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Like other EU states, France is pinning its hopes on a vaccine to quell the virus and Castex said Wednesday the country will receive around 1.16 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by year-end.
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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2020-12-17 10:52:30Z
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'We are not afraid': Wuhan residents say they hope WHO team finds COVID-19 origins - CNA
WUHAN, Hubei: With investigators from the World Health Organization (WHO) set to visit China next year, residents of Wuhan said they want the team to come to the central city, hoping they could prove that COVID-19 did not originate there.
An international team of investigators is expected to travel to China in January, the WHO said on Thursday (Dec 17), more than a year after the first identified cluster of COVID-19 infections was linked to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan.
"I welcome them to come. We also want to know how it developed, specifically where it came from, if the source of the virus is here," said a Wuhan resident surnamed Wan, as he walked to work on Thursday morning.
"My feeling is that it is not from there," he added, referring to the seafood market.
The WHO did not confirm whether its team will go to Wuhan, saying that discussions on the itinerary were ongoing. A two-member WHO team visited China in July, but did not visit Wuhan.
Reuters reported earlier, citing a member and diplomats, that a team of 12 to15 international experts will visit Wuhan to examine evidence, including human and animal samples collected by Chinese researchers, and to build on their initial studies.
Beijing has strongly opposed calls for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, but said it has been open to a WHO-led investigation.
China's foreign ministry did not directly comment on the WHO visit during a daily media briefing on Thursday.
"China stands ready to enhance its cooperation with WHO to advance the global tracing efforts and contribute our share in our early victory against the pandemic," spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
Many questions remain about the origins of COVID-19 and the role Wuhan's exotic wildlife trade may have played in it.
Although authorities closed the Huanan market in January, there is a growing scientific consensus that the virus did not originate there. Some studies suggest it was already in circulation by the time it reached the market, with more than one transmission route.
China still tightly restricts access to locations such as the Huanan market, which stands empty and locked even though normal life has largely resumed in Wuhan and throughout China.
Beijing has also been pushing a narrative that the virus existed abroad before it was found in Wuhan, and unlike other countries cites frozen food packaging as a risk of spreading COVID-19.
READ: A year on, markets bustling in China's Wuhan where COVID-19 emerged
"There is a strong possibility it was brought in via wholesale seafood from elsewhere. Wuhan has no seafood," said 20-year-old Wuhan student Jiang Yongcheng.
Others said a WHO visit is an opportunity to show how well the city had done battling the virus. Wuhan has not reported a locally transmitted case since May 10, after a 76-day lockdown that was one of the strictest worldwide.
"We are not afraid of their investigation," said Liu Qin, who works in real estate. "Because you can see from the epidemic this year, in Wuhan things were done well, if not the epidemic would not have been controlled quickly."
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
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2020-12-17 09:45:00Z
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