Cinmpring kici

Kamis, 22 April 2021

COVID-19: Japan to seek 'short, powerful' state of emergency for Tokyo, elsewhere - CNA

TOKYO: The Japanese government is seeking a "short and powerful" state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures, a Cabinet minister said on Friday (Apr 23), as Japan struggles to contain a resurgent pandemic just three months ahead of the Olympics.

Under a new state of emergency for Apr 25 to May 11, the government would ask restaurants, bars, and karaoke parlours serving alcohol to close, and big sporting events to be held without spectators, said Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.

"We absolutely have to limit the movement of people, and we have to do it decisively," said Nishimura, speaking at the start of a meeting with a panel of experts to discuss the proposed measures.

"We need powerful, short and focused measures," he said, asking people to "remember last spring and stay home".

READ: Japan's foreign residents ponder travelling for COVID-19 vaccines amid slow inoculation push

Department stores and other retailers larger than 1,000 sqm would also be asked to close and companies to make greater allowances for people to work-from-home.

The state of emergency, which would also include Kyoto and Hyogo and last through Japan's "Golden Week" holidays, are expected to be formally approved later on Friday. The four prefectures account for nearly a quarter of Japan's population.

Japan has so far avoided an explosive spread of the pandemic that has plagued many countries. There have been a total of about 550,000 cases and 9,761 deaths.

But the latest rise in infections has stoked alarm with an explosive surge in the mutant variant and a critical shortage of hospital beds in some regions, while Japan's vaccination drive remains sluggish.

READ: Japan health minister apologises for staff breaking COVID-19 protocols

Tokyo reported 861 new cases on Thursday, the most since Jan 29, which was during the third wave of the pandemic and a previous state of emergency. Osaka prefecture reported 1,167, down slightly from a record.

Several other prefectures remain in a "quasi-emergency" state of targeted infection controls, and Nishimura said the duration would also be extended to May 11 for some.

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

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2021-04-23 00:39:41Z
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Missing Indonesian submarine: Slim chance of survivors, says maritime expert | THE BIG STORY - The Straits Times

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2021-04-22 12:00:08Z
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India records over 300000 new Covid-19 cases in world's highest one-day surge - The Straits Times

NEW DELHI (BLOOMBERG, AFP) - India saw a record one-day jump with more than 300,000 new Covid-19 infections, marking a grim milestone for the country as a deadlier second wave shows no signs of abating and with most hospitals in the capital city gasping for oxygen supplies.

The South Asian nation, which has the world's second-largest outbreak, reported 314,835 new cases on Thursday (April 22), pushing the total tally to almost 16 million cases.

The United States, which is the worst-hit nation globally, saw its peak one-day surge of 314,312 cases on Dec 21 last year and has only reported more than 300,000 cases on two days since the onset of the pandemic. Infections in America are now on a downward trend, helped in part by aggressive vaccination.

Deaths related to Covid-19 in India jumped to 184,657. The country has administered more than 132 million vaccine doses, according to data from India's Health Ministry. That is enough to cover about 4.8 per cent of its vast 1.3 billion population, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker.

The official statistics belie the real extent of the crisis as crematoriums across the country are flooded with bodies.

The worsening outbreak threatens to derail the Indian economy that had just begun to recover after a nationwide lockdown last year pushed it into a historic recession.

A new virus variant with a double mutation has also emerged locally, and concerns are growing that it is driving the fierce new wave that is overwhelming India's hospitals and crematoriums.

Battle for oxygen

Major private and government-run hospitals in New Delhi have sent out urgent appeals to the central government, calling for immediate supply of oxygen for hundreds of patients on ventilator support.

On Wednesday, nearly 500 tonnes of oxygen was supplied to Delhi but this fell short of the required 700 tonnes per day.

The megacity’s government, run by a different party to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national administration, has accused neighbouring states governed by Mr Modi’s BJP of holding up supplies.

On Wednesday night, New Delhi’s largest hospital chain operator had to knock on the door of the city state’s high court after 1,400 Covid-19 patients across the Indian capital were put at risk due to dangerously low levels of oxygen supply.

Two back-to-back emergency hearings ended late Wednesday night after an oxygen tanker finally left for one branch of the Max Hospital, which had more than 250 Covid-19 patients in a critical state and the lowest level of crucial oxygen.

The Delhi High Court’s two-judge panel headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi expressed shock and dismay over the government’s neglect and directed Mr Modi’s administration to “beg, borrow, steal” but ensure adequate oxygen supply for hospitals.

"This is just bad planning. Why didn’t we foresee this? This is not rocket science,” Justice Sanghi said during the hearing.

The country with the fastest-growing Covid-19 caseload was caught utterly unprepared for a new wave of infections that started surging in March.

The late-night courtroom drama, with the state and federal government lawyers bickering over oxygen supplies to the national capital, which has among the best health care infrastructure in the country, is a grim indicator of a worse situation in the hinterlands. The nation’s social media has turned into a helpline with desperate calls for help to secure medicines, hospital beds, and oxygen cylinders.

States, including Maharashtra that is home to the country’s financial capital Mumbai, are in a constant tussle with the federal government for supplies of oxygen and crucial drugs. During the hearing on Wednesday, the Delhi state government’s lawyer urged the court to order a corridor with adequate security arrangements for oxygen tankers.

Lawyers for the federal government and Inox Air Products, a company supplying oxygen, informed the court that one of the reasons for the immediate shortage was a leak reported in Maharashtra. Two dozen people died due to lack of oxygen after a newly constructed gas supply tank leaked at a municipal hospital in Nasik city, the Indian Express reported.

People refilling medical oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients at a refill station in Allahabad on April 20, 2021. PHOTO: AFP

The court asked the federal government to divert all oxygen from industries for medical use if needed. It will resume hearing on the petition Thursday afternoon.

“We never thought a second wave would hit us so hard,” Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the executive chairman of Biocon and Biocon Biologics, an Indian healthcare firm, wrote in the Economic Times.

“Complacency led to unanticipated shortages of medicines, medical supplies and hospital beds," she said.

China rebukes Australia for 'Cold War mentality' after Belt and Road accords cancelled - CNA

SYDNEY: Australia said on Thursday (Apr 22) that it cancelled two accords between Victoria state and China on the Belt and Road Initiative because they were out of line with the federal government's foreign policy, which sees a "free and open Indo Pacific" as a key goal.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman responded by urging Australia to abandon its "Cold War mentality and ideological bias" and "immediately correct its mistakes and change course".

The Chinese embassy earlier criticised the move by Foreign Minister Marise Payne to veto two agreements signed by Victoria state as "provocative" and said it would further damage ties.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Thursday the accords were cancelled because his federal government did not want other levels of government to enter into agreements that conflict with Australia's foreign policy.

"We will always act in Australia's national interest to protect Australia, but to also ensure we can advance our national interest in a free and open Indo Pacific and a world that seeks a balance in favour of freedom," he said.

Under a new process, states must consult with the foreign minister before signing agreements with other nations.

COMMENTARY: Belt Road Initiative a vision of a new global economic order, win-win collaboration

Payne earlier told local radio the policy was "not aimed at any one country". Wang Wenbin, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, expressed doubt over that claim during a regular news conference in Beijing.

"The Australian side reviewed more than 1,000 deals and only decided to cancel four, and two of them were agreements with China, so Australia's claim that the decision doesn't target any particular country does not hold water," Wang said.

The spokesman warned Australia against travelling "further down the wrong path to avoid making the already strained China-Australia relations worse".

Speaking to reporters in New Zealand after meeting with her counterpart Nanaia Mahuta, Payne said Australia sought a clear-eyed and practical engagement with China, particularly as the world emerged from COVID-19.

"We also have to acknowledge that China's outlook, the nature of China's external engagement, both in our region and globally, has changed in recent years, and an enduring partnership requires us to adapt to those new realities," she said.

China is the largest trading partner of New Zealand and Australia.

READ: Australia faces down China in high-stakes strategy

Mahuta on Thursday repeated comments that New Zealand valued the Five Eyes security alliance – which also includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States – but questioned whether it was the right platform for New Zealand to speak out on human rights issues.

The comment, first made on Monday, has been widely interpreted as referring to recent Five Eyes joint statements criticising China.

In a joint written statement that did not mention China, Payne and Mahuta said they had "reaffirmed their intent to work together to preserve the liberal international order that has underpinned stability and prosperity in the region, and to foster a sustainable regional balance where all countries – large and small – can freely pursue their legitimate interests".

COMMENTARY: China and Australia went from chilly to barely speaking. That could have been avoided

Australia's conservative coalition government had declined to agree to a country-level memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China on the Belt and Road Initiative.

But Victoria Labor Premier Dan Andrews signed an MOU to promote the infrastructure development initiative in 2018 and a framework agreement in 2019, saying it would bring Chinese investment to his state.

Hans Hendrischke from the University of Sydney Business School said the cancellation of the agreements would have minimal commercial impact because no projects had begun.

"It had no legal force and there were no specific deals," he told Reuters.

Diplomatic relations between Australia and China have worsened since Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, prompting trade reprisals from Beijing.

Fitch Ratings said economic co-dependencies between Australia and China will restrain Beijing from targeting major exports such as iron ore.

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2021-04-22 08:26:15Z
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Missing submarine: Oxygen will run out in 72 hours during a power blackout, says Indonesian navy chief - CNA

BALI: Oxygen supply for the missing military submarine will run out by early Saturday, Indonesian authorities said as they expressed optimism on search and rescue efforts.

Head of navy Admiral Yudo Margono told a press conference on Thursday (Apr 22) that the submarine would have enough oxygen for 72 hours during a power blackout.

“We lost contact (with the vessel) yesterday at 3am, so it can last until Saturday 3am,” he said.

The KRI Nanggala 402 submarine went missing on Wednesday with 53 people on board when taking part in a torpedo drill in north Bali waters.

Contact with the vessel was lost at about 4.30am, after it asked for permission to dive at 3am.

“We are optimistic, we hope for the best," Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto added.

READ: Vessels from Singapore and Malaysia to assist in search for missing Indonesian submarine

A total of 49 crew members, one ship commander and three weapons specialists were on board the submarine, the defence ministry had said on Wednesday.

The submarine was built to sustain pressure at a maximum depth of around 250m, an official said. It was built in Germany in 1977 and joined Indonesia's fleet in 1981.

Oil slicks have been detected in several locations after the submarine went missing.

Adm Margono said it could mean damage to the vessel's fuel tank.

"Second, the crew might have dumped the oil hoping for (the vessel) to float. It would lighten the submarine."

Earlier on Thursday, Indonesia’s military spokesman Major General Achmad Riad told reporters that rescue vessels from Singapore and Malaysia were estimated to arrive on location this weekend to assist in the search.

Singapore’s MV Swift Rescue has sailed off and will most probably reach Bali on Saturday, while Malaysia’s MV Mega Bakti has departed from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and is set to arrive on Sunday afternoon.

SEARCH TEAM FOUND A FLOATING OBJECT

A total of 21 vessels, five aircrafts and two submarines have been deployed in the search operation.

The authorities said at the press conference that the search team has found a magnetic object floating at a depth of 50m to 100m.

"KRI Rigel (a navy vessel) is currently being brought in (to retrieve the object). We hope (the object is part of) KRI Nanggala," said military chief Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto.

Bali airforce base — Indonesia's airforce base in Bali. (Photo: Kiki Siregar)

Adm Margono said the clear waters during the drill and the search operation provided good visibility, while adding that the navy takes good care of its equipment.

Responding to a question on whether the vessel was too old, Mr Subianto spoke of the need to modernise the country's weaponries.

“We have been prioritising development and prosperity, so they haven’t been modernised. Now it is urgent, we will modernise our weaponries.”

President Joko Widodo on Thursday urged all parties to do their best to find the vessel. "The priority is the safety of the 53 crew members," he said.

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2021-04-22 09:11:15Z
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Rabu, 21 April 2021

21-day SHN in S'pore will pick up virtually all Covid-19 cases from India: Experts - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Requiring all travellers from India to be isolated for 21 instead of 14 days, would help strengthen Singapore's defences against a new double mutant variant that appears to be more infections, experts said.

But they added that it is not yet necessary to ban flights from India - as some countries have done - or tighten guidelines on social and other gatherings.

Singapore announced new safety measures on Tuesday, including fewer approvals for foreigners who are not permanent residents coming in from India, which is experiencing a second wave believed to be fuelled by a variant with a double mutation.

All travellers from India must now isolate for seven days at a residence after spending 14 days at a dedicated facility for those serving Stay-Home Notices (SHN)

"A 14-day quarantine or SHN would detect more than 98 per cent of Covid-19 cases, including those who were infected while on the plane," said Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, the vice-dean of global health at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

"A 21-day quarantine backed by specific tests would detect virtually all cases. However, that would impose a significant mental and financial cost" to the traveller.

The new measures have come amid a recent rise in locally-transmitted cases and as a new three-person cluster here has just been linked to a 43-year-old Indian national who was "probably reinfected" in India.

The work pass holder, who was asymptomatic, had tested positive on arrival from India on Apr 2 but was discharged after a few days as he was considered no longer infectious. But he went on to infect his sister-in-law and her husband.

Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research from the same school as Prof Hsu, said the positive swab result could mean that he was infectious or had recently recovered from an infection.

A serology test to look for Covid-19 antibodies was then done and the man tested positive, meaning that he was infectious at least two weeks ago. But it is now clear that he could have been infected sometime back and then reinfected recently, and hence tested positive on both tests.

Prof Cook said that this shows that it's vital to assess the interpretation of the combination of a positive swab and serology tests, given that it can be a reinfection case, and continued vigilance is key.

India's surging outbreak has prompted places such as Hong Kong and New Zealand to ban flights.

Infectious disease expert Leong Hoe Nam said that while banning flights is easy, it is about achieving a balance, as there's also the need to support the economy and be compassionate in allowing family members to come to visit.

Flight bans provide just short-term relief, said Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

"If such flight bans were successful, we would have seen a much smaller Covid-19 footprint globally, given the number of flight bans and border closures in the early months of 2020," he said.

"What I suspect ... is that these new variants that have emerged in one country are in fact already circulating in other countries."

It's better to prevent virus variants from going on to seed uncontrollable community outbreaks with a comprehensive strategy that includes stricter border controls for travellers from India.

"This, together with the repeated testing that will be applied to such travellers, will greatly increase our ability to reduce any leakage into the community, such as what we have seen last week," said Prof Teo.

He added that the 14-day quarantine was never able to catch 100 per cent of the cases: "We know from the epidemiological data that there are people whose incubation period actually extends beyond 14 days, just that the chance of this happening is low."

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is making easier for travellers from Hong Kong to come here as the Covid-19 situation there has improved. They will need to be isolated for seven days, instead of 14, and carried out their place of residence, if suitable.

"Ultimately, these are judgment calls based on data on the incubation period of the virus and the socioeconomic impact of longer Stay-Home Notices," said Prof Hsu.

Dr Leong added that as the virus adapts to human hosts, it will mutate and more cases can be expected here.

So, it boils down to "each and every one of us" doing our part, from using SafeEntry, TraceTogether to getting vaccinated, to create a robust, tight and effective block against the virus, he said.

Vessels from Singapore and Malaysia to assist in search for missing Indonesian submarine - CNA

BALI: Rescue vessels from Singapore and Malaysia are being deployed to assist in the search for a missing Indonesia submarine.

Indonesia’s military spokesman Major General Achmad Riad said on Thursday (Apr 22) morning that Singapore is sending MV Swift Rescue.

“Swift Rescue is estimated to arrive on location on Apr 24,” he said in a statement.

Swift Rescue 1 — MV Swift Rescue leaving Changi Naval Base to join the search operations off Bali. (Photo: Facebook/Ng Eng Hen)

In a Facebook post, Singapore's defence minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said its submarine rescue vessel was "dispatched expeditiously yesterday afternoon, as fast as she could get ready", after its navy chief received a request for assistance from his Indonesian counterpart.

"A medical team was also added to the regular crew in the event that hyperbaric care would be needed," said Dr Ng.

"Our military ties with Indonesia are very close, built up over the years of bilateral exercises and engagements at all levels. It is only natural that we do whatever we can to assist in times like this.

"The site for search operations, near Bali, is more than 1,500 km away and waters are deep, which is why MV Swift Rescue sailed off as soon as she could," he added.

Malaysia's Mega Bakti, meanwhile, is estimated to arrive at 4pm local time on Sunday.

Indonesia Submarine — Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala sails in the waters off Tuban, East Java, Indonesia, as seen in this aerial photo taken from Indonesian Navy helicopter of 400 Air Squadron, in this Monday, Oct. 6, 2014 photo. Indonesia's navy is searching for the submarine that went missing north of the resort island of Bali with a number of people on board, the military said Wednesday. (Photo: AP/Eric Ireng)

READ: Indonesian navy searching for missing submarine with 53 on board; oil spill found near dive position

The KRI Nanggala 402 submarine went missing on Wednesday with 53 people on board when taking part in a torpedo drill in north Bali waters. Contact with the vessel was lost at 4.30am, after it asked for permission to dive at 3am.

The ministry said an oil spill was spotted near the dive position at 7am Western Indonesian time, and two navy vessels with sonar capability have been deployed to assist in the search.

Other countries that have offered rescue assistance included the United States, Germany, France, Turkey, India, Russia and Australia, Mr Riad said on Thursday.

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2021-04-22 03:56:15Z
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Cinmpring kici

Kamis, 22 April 2021

COVID-19: Japan to seek 'short, powerful' state of emergency for Tokyo, elsewhere - CNA

READ: Japan's foreign residents ponder travelling for COVID-19 vaccines amid slow inoculation push

READ: Japan health minister apologises for staff breaking COVID-19 protocols

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

Missing Indonesian submarine: Slim chance of survivors, says maritime expert | THE BIG STORY - The Straits Times

India records over 300000 new Covid-19 cases in world's highest one-day surge - The Straits Times

Battle for oxygen

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China rebukes Australia for 'Cold War mentality' after Belt and Road accords cancelled - CNA

COMMENTARY: Belt Road Initiative a vision of a new global economic order, win-win collaboration

READ: Australia faces down China in high-stakes strategy

COMMENTARY: China and Australia went from chilly to barely speaking. That could have been avoided

Missing submarine: Oxygen will run out in 72 hours during a power blackout, says Indonesian navy chief - CNA

READ: Vessels from Singapore and Malaysia to assist in search for missing Indonesian submarine

Rabu, 21 April 2021

21-day SHN in S'pore will pick up virtually all Covid-19 cases from India: Experts - The Straits Times

Related Stories:

Vessels from Singapore and Malaysia to assist in search for missing Indonesian submarine - CNA

READ: Indonesian navy searching for missing submarine with 53 on board; oil spill found near dive position